A Million Little Stars
by Bamfderson
Summary: When the New Directions decide to check out their competition, the last thing Kurt expects is to strike up an unlikely friendship with a tall green-eyed boy. What starts as a quick conversation in an empty hallway soon turns into so much more. S1 AU
1. Chapter 1

It was a hallway, in the end, that signaled the greatest change in Kurt Hummel's life. Not an auditorium, with the notes of 'Don't Stop Believing' clinging to the musty air, not a Broadway stage with heel marks pressed into the wood over the years, as much as he'd like to believe it, and not even the dingy apartment with the peeling mint wallpaper in New York that was his ('ours, Kurt, forever') for the very first time, the one that meant the start of the rest of his life. No, it was a hallway, and probably a stage with ridiculous lighting. Oh and a t-shirt, he supposed.

…

Definitely a t-shirt.

Carmel's auditorium was suddenly stifling to Kurt as he stared blankly at the stage, willing himself to wake up, anything to not believe what he had just seen. Mr Schuester's voice echoed in his head, something about this choir not having the talent they did, but it all seemed ridiculous now. The audience was bathed in darkness, most of them screaming, clapping, and standing as they praised the performance, a couple of parents on the front row discreetly wiping tears from their eyes. It was too much, and Kurt couldn't bear to look around him at the faces of his friends as they too took in the excited reactions of the audience and the horrified look on their usually optimistic teacher's face. Even Mr Schue had given up, Kurt could see, as he registered the dropped mouth, the raised eyebrows, the slight tremble in his hands as he clutched the sheet of paper in his hand. It was too much, and so Kurt edged along the row and up the aisle of the auditorium, reaching the wooden door in the dark just before the lights once again illuminated the stage and the show choir already in position on it.

Pacing back and forth in the hall of the large building, Kurt kept his eyes to the floor, head reeling at the performance he had just witnessed. Tina was right, the New Directions were doomed. Going up against Vocal Adrenaline was show choir suicide, and even the sympathy they'd probably gain from being a group of hapless misfits wouldn't be enough to disguise their general lack of form and experience. The other team had moved in tandem, swayed across the stage, drawing the eye with ease as they effortlessly pulled off the choreography as if they had been born to do it. And their voices! Harmonizing perfectly, working together with the rhythm, hypnotizing the audience in seconds-

Yeah, they were doomed. There was no way any audience could stare deep into Berry's 'Broadway eyes' and not see the crazy there. Plus the chances of getting them to dance in sync was about as likely as the Cheerios ditching their reputation and flouncing into the choir room on Monday. Kurt sighed in frustration. There was no way the glee club could continue, not after this, and along with the club went his friends. Tina, Mercedes, even Artie; they'd head back to their own groups and classes, blending into the background as much as Kurt did, ducking their heads as jocks passed and spending lunch breaks in the library, as secluded and safe a space as they would ever find.

Safe. A word he had only let himself dream about previously. The Glee club was that; safety. He had let himself believe, let himself hope that if they were good enough, maybe he would be. But that was also gone. Maybe before this moment he had had the chance of friends, a group of his own, people who would love him for who he was and to share secrets with (just one secret) and to laugh when he did and understand him, or at least try to.

Hopeless. That's what it was. Had he ever really been naïve enough to think the word 'safe'?

'Hey, uh, I get if you're deep in thought or whatever, but could you move? I have to get outside…' A smooth voice interrupted Kurt from his thoughts, causing his brow to tighten as he turned to meet the person who had broken the silence of the hallway. His eyes met a black tee reading 'Carmel' in bold letters across it, a faded school crest stretched across another boy's chest. He looked up slightly to see green eyes flecked with gold, partly obscured by strands of sandy hair falling across his tanned forehead.

'Yeah, sorry, I was, um, sorry.' He replied, swiftly stepping to one side and cursing the way his mouth had gone suddenly inexplicably dry.

'Don't worry about it; I just kinda wanted to get out of here before the vultures leave the stage.' As he spoke the eyebrows of the other boy rose, and his mouth cracked into a smile. Kurt vaguely noticed the silver flash of braces before he seemed to catch himself and close his mouth quickly.

'Are they that bad?' He queried, wondering if the cheerful faces he saw waltzing across the stage can really be the "vultures" this strange boy appeared to think they were.

'Yeah, they pretty much use me as their slave, ever since I auditioned for the damn club…' The taller boy replied, rolling his eyes as his sentence trailed off. Kurt considered the information in his head, and secretly wondered if the boy had a voice as nice as his face, then quickly pushed that thought to the back of his mind, speaking again.

'You auditioned?'

'Yeah, but I got turned down. You ever heard of Dakota Stanley?' Kurt shook his head slowly, feeling as if he should know the name from the expectant look the other boy gave him.

'Well he's VA's choreographer, but he also basically decides who gets in and who doesn't. He said I was too gangly.' The boy explained, gesturing to his long arms and legs as he spoke. Kurt briskly looked him up and down, and swiftly decided that whoever Dakota Stanley was, he was decidedly wrong about some things.

'He sounds charming.' The Carmel boy smiled again as Kurt let sarcasm bleed into his words, a flash of silver peeking out before he self-consciously closed his mouth again.

'Yeah he's a real bastard. Look, it's been nice talking but I really do have to go; if they see me they might make me wipe the sweat from under their arms again, and I don't think I can do it without gagging this time.' He grimaced as he finished speaking, obviously remembering a particularly horrific afternoon. Kurt made a face and spoke quickly, not wanting to keep the boy any longer.

'Yes, sorry, I'll, um, see you around I guess.' And there went his voice again, hitting the slightly higher pitch it did when he was nervous or excited. The boy didn't seem to notice, the corners of his mouth pulling into a slight smile as he brushed through the doorway. He turned back at the last second, catching the door on his heel and shivering slightly in the cold air, appearing to remember something as an afterthought.

'What's your name?'

'Kurt. Um, Kurt Hummel.' As Kurt replied his cheeks grew slightly warmer, the air suddenly feeling less bitter. The boy's mouth stretched into a smile again.

'Well "Um Kurt Hummel", I'm Sebastian Smythe.' And Kurt really blushed then, internally kicking himself as the boy- Sebastian –mocked his nervous speech.

'And I'll definitely see you around.'

**A/N: First chapter up! I've posted this on my account on Tumblr, but I figured it can't hurt to put it on here too, especially because I don't think I've used this account in…ever… so might as well put it to good use. Enjoy!**


	2. Chapter 2

Kurt didn't see Sebastian Smythe again that week, or the next. With the tension in the Glee club constantly rising, increased by the addition of Finn Hudson and Rachel Berry's immediate crush on her new 'leading man', there was hardly time to even consider going back to Carmel. Kurt found there was hardly even time to think about Sebastian, as the whole club launched into rehearsals almost every day that week, determined to improve their chances at beating the other school. Despite his newly busy schedule, however, Kurt still found time to let his mind drift back to the short amount of time he had spent talking to (and, he grudgingly admitted, staring at slightly) Sebastian. After the boy in the faded t-shirt had run out into the parking lot on Friday, Kurt had had to swiftly jump out of the way as Vocal Adrenaline burst through the double doors, immediately followed by their adoring fans. This signaled the abrupt end of the afternoon for the New Directions, and they decided to make their way back to McKinley to mope, and in Berry's case listen to Broadway soundtracks at an ear-splitting volume and sob. The group was mostly quiet on the ride home, aside from the occasional sniffle from Rachel, who had immediately flounced to the back of the school bus they had travelled in, dropping into her seat with a loud and dramatic huff. Kurt sat next to Mercedes, who was also clearly devastated after Vocal Adrenaline's performance, and offered her a small smile when she met his eye. She returned it, and he wondered how he could tell her that they still might have a chance without mentioning the boy he had met.

At first, as he had watched Sebastian walk away, he had immediately entertained the idea of telling Mercedes everything she could possibly want to know about the boy, and what he had said about their competition. Their growing friendship had already reached the point where gossip was shared between them instantly, an unspoken rule that they weren't to keep anything interesting from each other. But something told him to hold back. He didn't want to speak about Sebastian to her, didn't want to speak about him to anyone. This was mostly because he wanted to avoid Berry's imminent rant about "fraternizing with the enemy", but there was a tiny part of him that knew it was for a different reason entirely. Because what if he did tell his friends about Sebastian Smythe, the boy he had met in the hallway? What if he began to tell Mercedes about him and lost himself, until he was warbling on about green eyes and strong arms and that freckle millimeters away from his left eyebrow, and _that smile_…

No, he definitely couldn't tell anyone.

In fact, his brief encounter with the boy was forgotten over the next week, as Rachel convinced them to stage a completely inappropriate rendition of 'Push It', overturning the (admittedly terrible) music choices of Mr Schue and instead making them all meet in secret thirty minutes after Glee to practice thrusting into the air. Even with the music loud and the school empty, Kurt could feel the awkwardness of their performance, and prayed for the assembly to be over. He entertained the thought that maybe their performance wouldn't be as bad as he thought. It couldn't be any worse than Schuester's disco fever (more like disease) would have been – right?

It was worse. It was so much worse. Although the school initially enjoyed the ridiculous display they put on, the aftermath was awful. If they didn't feel bad enough about potentially destroying their hopes for competition and possibly even continuing the club, there was always the horrifying list of songs about balloons to keep them down.

Even more disturbing than Rachel's hip movements, however, was the small crowd of girls clad in red and white that strode into the choir room a couple of days later. Finn and Artie, entranced by the swishing skirts, spent the rest of rehearsal in a daze, sneaking glances at the girls when they could, while Kurt attempted to remember their names. He knew Quinn Fabray, of course, everyone did, but the other two he knew only by sight. The blonde looked slightly familiar, and he could have sworn she was the girl who asked what the square root of coffee was once in his math class.

The Cheerios caused trouble that no one could have ever expected. For starters, once they became friendly with Mercedes she seemed to change completely. Rather than pulling faces when she saw Kurt's latest outfit, she now complimented his (admittedly strange) fashion choices and adopted a loud, false laugh that he hadn't heard before. Rachel was also affected by their presence, sending not so subtle glares across the room when she believed no one was watching, not to mention the kicked-puppy look she kept shooting Finn. Kurt didn't particularly care about this apparent new development; Finn was devoted to Quinn, which was the end of it. There was no way he'd pick Rachel (or anyone else) over the head cheerleader and the status that came with dating her, he would have to be an idiot.

However, the big issue soon after the Cheerios joined was not the girls themselves (who Kurt now knew were called Brittany and Santana) but rather the dwindling interest of Mr Schuester in their little choir. He had been distracted due to his forming the 'Acafellas' with several of the other teachers, and their joint midlife boy band crisis was in full swing, leaving the Glee kids without a teacher, and therefore basically without a club.

'We need Dakota Stanley.' Kurt's head snapped up as the name distracted him from his thoughts, thinking once again about Sebastian and the things he had said about the choreographer. Quinn's voice was strong and clear as she addressed the whole group, ignoring the protests of Finn as he attempted to argue Mr Schue's side in vain. Kurt stood slowly, decided that he better speak up before the Glee club cut out their teacher for someone who was apparently a complete asshole if Sebastian was to be believed.

'I'm not so sure that's a good idea.' Quinn turned her head slowly to look at Kurt, eyes wide and smile straining, and he was suddenly vividly reminded of the night he had fallen asleep on the sofa and woken up to find _The Exorcist_ playing on the screen in the background.

'And why would that be?'

'I just… I've heard some negative things about him before.' Quinn and Santana scoffed at the idea, rolling their eyes in sync as Santana propped a hand on her hip, ignoring Brittany's small question in the background of how a person could be magnetic.

'There's nothing negative to be said about him, _Tinkerbell_, I'm sorry if you think you're too good to be coached but from what I've seen you need it almost as much as Finn does. Your dancing looks like you just got out of Cryo-freeze and had to re-learn how to walk, for God's sake.' And oh, okay, there was what Santana sounded like when she was angry. Ignoring the spark growing in her eyes, he attempted to carry on.

'I just think-'

'Sit the fuck down, Hummel.' At this he decided his point was lost, and sank back down into his seat, zoning out as Quinn reeled off a plan and wondering for the hundredth time that week whether he'd see Sebastian again if they went back to Carmel.

He quietly hoped that he would.

Carmel in itself was one of the most imposing buildings Kurt Hummel had ever seen. The statue in itself was terrifying, an enormous bronze that towered over the New Directions as they stood warily in front of the school. The thick doors in front of them were emblazoned with huge lettering, the CHS glinting in the sunlight against dark wood. Rachel's smile faltered for a second as she stared at several of the upper windows, where empty labs and pristine classrooms appeared to glare back at the small collection of students at the front.

'Should we try the back entrance, maybe?' was the suggestion made by Mercedes as she eyed the building, gulping visibly as she looked for another entrance, anything to keep from having to knock on the huge door.

They moved carefully to a door around the side of the building that read 'STAGE DOOR' in small lettering, clearly the way to Carmel's auditorium. They looked at each other, debating the decision and then simultaneously took a step forward, heading to the door. Before they could get closer, however, a girl bolted out of the doors, tears leaking from her eyes and made a beeline for the small trashcan in front of her. She was followed by another girl wearing the same costume and – to Kurt's surprise – Sebastian, who followed her at a leisurely pace, hands thrust deep into his pockets and a long-suffering expression on his face as he ambled after the pair. When he eventually took interest in his surroundings, he surveyed the McKinley crowd curiously, before his eyes fixed on Kurt and he waved slightly, a hand rising out of his faded jeans as his mouth turned up into a slight smile. Noticing the movement, Santana turned and raised an eyebrow at Kurt, before refocusing and stepping forward towards Sebastian, flicking her Cheerio ponytail and swishing her hips so that the skirt flicked up at the edges in the slight breeze.

'You're really wasting your time honey.' Sebastian stopped her in her tracks, a hand help up inches in front of her face, palm facing outwards 'You've got a better chance with Kate here.' The skinny girl attempting to comfort the first girl who had run forward turned to give Sebastian a glare, before returning to her friend with a soothing voice.

'You weren't that bad, Monica, I swear! I don't think he's ever even _seen_ a giraffe get shot so you can't possibly look like that when you're dancing…' Kurt immediately coughed, masking the involuntary giggle that rose at the girl's comment. He checked to see who had heard him, not wanting to seem cruel in front of the obviously upset Kate, but no one appeared to have noticed.

That is, until he noticed Sebastian staring at him, a slight gleam in his eyes and a dimple showing clearly just under his cheekbone where he attempted to restrain his grin. Fleetingly wondering why it was that Santana didn't have a chance, Kurt blushed and looked at his feet, allowing the grin to break across his face as he heard Rachel ask one of the girls a question.

'Are you in Vocal Adrenaline? We are the McKinley High Glee club; we'd like to ask Dakota Stanley about choreographing… our… show choir?' Her sentence trailed off as a question as she registered the rapidly shaking head of Monica, who was pushing herself up from the bin with shaking arms, tears slicing through stage makeup and running down her neck.

'Don't – He's a monster!' With this comment her voice cracked and she burst into sobs again, running back through the doors she had come through, her friend at her heels. Rachel stared after her in shock for a long moment, before shaking her head slightly and beaming once more.

'I'm sorry; I didn't catch your name!' This time she addressed Sebastian, tilting her head so that her long hair swept low on her back as she craned to look at him.

'I didn't give it.' She recoiled as Sebastian spoke, but her smile only fell a fraction as she soldiered on.

'Right, well, anyway- My name is Rachel Berry, I'm the leader of the New Directions-' Sebastian raised his eyebrows at the pronunciation and flicked his eyes back over to Kurt, who kept his gaze on his boots as Santana glared at the back of Rachel's head. 'And we've come here today to talk to Dakota Stanley, as I said. I presume that you're in Vocal Adrenaline?' Sebastian pulled his eyes away from Kurt and focused on the small girl in front of him.

'No.'

'Well if you're not in the club-' He cut her off swiftly.

'Just no.' He leaned backwards, resting his elbows on the bin behind him and sweeping his eyes over the group in front of him, pausing for a long time before he continued, as if daring them to speak up against him. 'You guys want Stanley? Exactly how much change do you have in your probably rhinestone encrusted piggybank, Miss _Rachel Berry_?' A red blush crept up Rachel's neck, clear to everyone around her as she shook slightly. Kurt wondered about the slight tease in her name as Sebastian had spoken, pointedly ignoring the hot spike of _something_ that flared in his chest.

'Um, I-' He didn't let her finish.

'Because Dakota Stanley is extremely expensive, and by the look of what you're wearing, you haven't got the cash. Unless you felt like selling yourself- But somehow I don't think "whiny little schoolgirl" is all the rage nowadays.' At this Rachel ducked her head and took a tiny step back, and Kurt once again had to bite his lips to keep the smirk at bay. The insult was biting, and Rachel's smile had slipped off her face completely, but it was somewhat refreshing to see her taken down a peg or two. Even Santana appeared to hold her tongue as the boy pushed himself up to his full height and stretched his long arms behind his back, working out an obvious kink in his shoulders. His chest strained underneath the same Carmel tee he had been wearing when Kurt had met him, the lettering clearer in the sunlight than it had been in the fluorescent lighting of the hallway. He dropped his arms, winked quickly at the group and then turned to stride back to the auditorium doors. Halfway there, he paused and turned his head to the side.

'It was nice to see you again, Kurt.' He smirked, not looking back at the group, and pushed the door open with his foot, whistling as he stepped through it.

The New Directions turned their heads slowly to stare in disbelief at Kurt.

_Shit._

It took Kurt a few seconds to look away from where the door had swung shut after Sebastian to the faces of the group around him. Most terrifying was Rachel, who somehow managed to pull of looking extremely angry and confused beyond belief at the same time. As she opened her mouth –no doubt to give one of her infamous rants about betraying the club and therefore her- he decided that it was best to ignore her completely and follow the path Sebastian had taken, knowing that they would be curious enough to follow.

When he pushed open the door, he realized that it did, in fact, lead directly on to the stage, and he could see the entirety of Vocal Adrenaline in various stages of fear spread across the stage in perfect lines. A small man stood in the front row of seats in the huge auditorium, outlined by the huge lights that were currently blinding the New Directions. Kurt raised a hand to his forehead to shield his eyes as he noticed that the show choir on stage had started to inch slowly back towards the door on the other side of the stage, away from him and away from the man. Rachel immediately stepped forward to the front of the stage, launching into her proposition for the man; who Kurt now realized must be Dakota Stanley. In the shadow created by Rachel's tiny form, he could make out the man's face dimly, enough to notice that it was tense with fury. He took an involuntary step back, subconsciously following Vocal Adrenaline away from the light and into the shadows at the back of the stage. He vaguely heard the sudden outburst from Dakota, and noticed the shocked looks on the faces of his friends, but he found that his attention was much more easily drawn by the hand that slipped into his, curling around his fingers and dragging him back across the stage and into the wings.

Kurt tried to catch Mercedes' eye as he was gently pulled backwards but failed- now he knew how useful his friends would be if he were ever unfortunately kidnapped- and he allowed himself to be dragged until he was softly pushed against a wall in the dimly lit prop section backstage.

'Told you he was a bastard.' And there was that voice again, and that _fucking smirk_, staring down at him as if it was Christmas day at the Smythes and he was the shiny new toy.

'Sebastian, what are you doing?' Kurt wanted to get back to his friends and hopefully catch the look on Rachel's face as she was mercilessly verbally attacked by the choreographer.

'I'm kidnapping you. I don't want to be the show choir slave any more than you want to go up against Stanley, so we're skipping.' He explained it as if it was obvious; his brow furrowing as if wondering why Kurt hadn't considered this option in the first place.

'I can't "skip"; I don't even go to this school!'

'Then you won't get in trouble, will you?'

'I-' And there was that wink again. Kurt desperately tried to regain control over his suddenly wobbling knees and tried his question again. 'Where would we go?'

Sebastian's grin broadened, the telltale silver glinting in the light glowing from the stage. He knew he had won; Kurt knew it too. The heat of the lights must even spread to backstage, Kurt thought absently; there was no way the sweat on his palms and the heat in his cheeks could be purely from the short walk into the auditorium.

'There's a little coffee shop not far from here. I don't know about you but after the day I've had, I need caffeine. Fast.' Kurt considered it for a moment before replying.

'I don't really like coffee.'

'No, you just haven't found the right coffee.' Kurt scoffed; he knew the bitter taste of the instant coffee his Dad bought, knew that no matter how comforting any other hot drink could be, coffee was the one that was too sharp, too much. He didn't like it, and that was the end of it. Plus, _types_ of coffee- who did Sebastian think he was?

His thoughts must have shown on his face, but the other boy only chuckled softly and slipped his hand back into Kurt's, pulling him towards the stage door, which Kurt's friends appeared to have forgotten; they appeared to be deep in conversation with Dakota Stanley. Kurt stopped dead, his heels digging as he resisted the pull to just walk through the door; he couldn't leave his friends. Sebastian stared down and him and spoke softly enough that only they could hear it.

'Trust me.'

Kurt left.


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N; I am absolutely blown away by how many people are reading and enjoying this! Thank you so much for the story alerts and reviews, they mean so much to me, and I really hope you like this part. Another update soon; most of it is already written, just needs tweaking! _

_The Lima Bean_ was somewhere Kurt Hummel had never been before personally, but he could see the appeal. The windows on one side made it bright and airy, and the rich smell of coffee in the air generated a cozy atmosphere, particularly if the customers sat in the large squashy armchairs nestled in the corners. Kurt's boots clipped across the floor as he followed Sebastian to the counter, taking in the small groups around him as he walked. There was an old couple sitting in comfortable silence, sipping from matching cups on the far side of the café, and a woman of about 25 typing frantically on her laptop; probably for a deadline judging from the dark circles under her eyes and the several empty mugs scattered around her. There was a small group of boys in a navy uniform sat in one corner, most of them laughing as a boy around their age with unruly hair gestured wildly with his hands. It seemed a friendly place, private without being secretive, and Kurt now understood why Sebastian had suggested this place rather than the Starbucks a couple of streets away that most of his school spent the afternoons in.

'So what do you want?' Sebastian asked him the question as they stepped up to the smiling barista, glancing back at Kurt with a questioning expression. 'They've got lattes, cappuccinos, mochas, plain old drip coffee…'

Kurt stared blankly at him, recognizing some of the drinks named but unsure really what any of them were. Sebastian turned back to the woman and ordered a latte for himself, before ordering Kurt's.

'You know, I think Kurt here looks like a mocha person, don't you?' She nodded furiously, ignoring Kurt's confused expression and pushing buttons on the register, shouting back to a boy in his teens to begin making the drinks. Sebastian turned and looked at Kurt, taking in his confused expression before trailing his gaze down the length of Kurt's body swiftly, staring at his dark jeans and (designer, thank you very much) shirt before appearing to change his mind and turning back to the barista.

'Can you put a shot of cinnamon syrup in the mocha too?' Sebastian accompanied his question with a closed mouth smile and a twinkle in his eye, enough for the girl to positively beam, and the boy to roll his eyes and pump an amber liquid into one of the cups.

'I don't even like cinnamon! Sebastian-'

'Nobody _likes_ cinnamon Kurt, doesn't mean you won't like it in your coffee; just shut up until you've at least tasted it. You need cinnamon, trust me.' And there were those words again, the ones that had landed him in the damn coffee shop in the first place. The conversation (argument?) was clearly over, and Kurt crossed his arms over his navy shirt with a slight pout as he realized he would lose this battle. He stared pointedly out of the window to his right, not noticing the way that Sebastian handed over slightly too much cash with a slight wink, or the way that the taller boy's eyes lingered on his expression, his face softening as he took in Kurt's tense form.

He definitely didn't notice any of these things.

He did, however, let himself be led by a warm hand pushed into the small of his back over to a wooden table, stained multicolored by the hundreds of coffee cups slid and spilled and left on the pale wood. Kurt sat down slowly, arms having unfolded from his side and brow tensing, and stared down at one of the darker smudges on the table. People didn't _touch _him, not willingly, anyway. Being the loner at school offered him some anonymity, sure, but it was unusual for anyone to get within a meter of him unless they had tripped, or if they suddenly felt the urge to shove him in the hallways. Sebastian's touch had been offhand, barely thought about, and it had surprised Kurt, leaving him a little dazed. As he stared at the table, lost in his thoughts, a coffee cup slid into his vision, pushed by Sebastian's slender hand.

'Just try it.' The other boy spoke under his breath, peeking up at Kurt through his eyelashes. He seemed somehow shy, perhaps to attempt to alleviate the tension in Kurt's jaw and the noticeable clench of his hands. When Kurt met his eyes, Sebastian smiled up at him, and Kurt noticed again the silver braces running along his teeth. For a second Sebastian appeared to Kurt as the young boy he was, rather than the strange teen who had dragged him off a stage and halfway around Westerville, and it was enough for him to return the tentative smile and wrap a hand around the side of the cup.

As he lifted the cup to his lips Sebastian's mouth fell and he chewed on his lower lip slightly, staring at the cup with a worried expression. Kurt realized now he saw it as some kind of test- if the coffee wasn't good enough, Sebastian had failed. A small, cruel part of his mind urged him to taste and then immediately spit out the drink purely to watch Sebastian's face crumble, but he remembered the boy's hopeful smile and decided that maybe the coffee, and Sebastian himself, was worth a shot.

The drink was creamy and rich (next time he'd have to ask for non-fat) and slid across his tongue easily. Gone was the bitter taste of the coffee itself that he disliked, replaced by the initial sweetness of the chocolate and the bite of the cinnamon after he had taken the first sip. He exhaled slowly, flavors dancing on his tongue, and looked at Sebastian once more. The other boy had taken to tapping his fingers against the side of his own cup, glancing skittishly at Kurt every couple of seconds. Kurt gazed until he managed to catch Sebastian's eye.

'Okay, so I can't lie, this may be the greatest thing I've ever tasted.' As he spoke a small smile overtook Sebastian's face once more, the flecks of gold in his irises glinting as the corners of his eyes crinkled a little.

_Yeah, definitely worth admitting defeat._

'-So now I'm Vocal Adrenaline's own personal flying monkey.'

Kurt sipped his coffee again, his chin resting on his hand as he listened to Sebastian talk. It turned out that after one humiliating audition, Dakota Stanley and the rest of the other Glee Club had decided that Sebastian Smythe was a valuable pretty face, not so much a valuable Glee member.

'Were you really that bad?' Kurt couldn't quite believe that Sebastian couldn't sing; his deep voice had kept him captivated for the last hour, talking about Vocal Adrenaline and the various scandals rocking it each week. They didn't have anything on the New Directions of course; when Kurt had told his new friend about the various dramatic exits most of the club had made already and their director's new found interest in boy bands as some sort of twisted mid-life crisis, Sebastian's eyebrows had nearly reached his hairline in surprise.

'Yeah I was really bad, but it wasn't because of my singing. I totally choked, went bright red and ended up falling over attempting to run out of the room- it was the most awkward moment of my life.' Watching a pink blush spread across Sebastian's cheeks, Kurt couldn't help it; he giggled slightly into his palm, shooting a sympathetic look at the other boy at the same time. Sebastian caught his eye for a second and then laughed with him, his deep yet soft chuckle echoing in the air around them.

'It wasn't my fault! This was last year- have you seen how tall I am? I just hadn't grown into my legs quite yet!' Sebastian's tone turned defensive, which only made Kurt laugh harder before attempting a solemn face.

'Aw, you poor thing.' Sebastian scowled at Kurt's patronizing tone with no real malice, his mouth twisting as he tried to hide his smile. 'But that doesn't explain why you agreed to be their- what did you call it? Flying monkey?'

'Well firstly being in VA gets you a whole ton of extra credit; if I ever want to leave this damn place I need that-' Kurt nodded with him at this, understanding the other boy's desire to escape, '-but mostly I think it's because Richard has a little crush on me and needs something to stare at while he tries to remember lyrics.' He made the comment offhand, reaching to pick up his coffee once more and completely oblivious to Kurt's shocked expression while he carried on.

'I mean, I don't even know why he even tries, my type isn't exactly dumb as a brick and bottle-blonde- what?' He noticed Kurt staring and cut off his speech, mentally going back over his speech. Kurt watched, frozen, as Sebastian's gaze shifted from confused into a cautious yet firm expression.

'I mean, uh-'

'Are you- are you gay?' The question slipped out of Kurt's mouth before he could contain it, his voice dropping in volume as he almost whispered across the table. He leaned in slightly, heart pounding as he searched the other boy's face. Sebastian seemed to snap out of it for a second, raising one eyebrow cooling and setting his mouth into a firm line as he lifted the coffee in his hand to his lips and leaned back slightly. He took a long sip, not meeting Kurt's eyes, before lowering it back to the table.

'Yes- is that a problem for you?' At this he looked up at Kurt, his face not betraying his emotions. Kurt wondered how the giggly atmosphere from minutes ago had turned to this, and replied quickly to attempt to claw that feeling back.

'No, no, not at all.' Sebastian visibly relaxed; his jaw unclenching and his fingers uncurling themselves from the chipped coffee cup. 'I've just never met anyone gay before.' He dropped his eyes to the table, oblivious to Sebastian's knowing expression as he felt warmth spread up his neck.

'Yeah well, it's Ohio. Most people are afraid.' Sebastian's voice was quieter than before, and Kurt suddenly felt a shiver up his spine, surprised by the way their conversation had taken on a more private, intimate tone. He saw sadness in Sebastian's eyes that he hadn't seen before as he looked up at the other boy, and found his reply was just as quiet.

'They have good reason to be afraid.' He cursed his voice for cracking slightly, eyelashes flickering as he attempted to pull his gaze away from Sebastian's. _Don't think about it, don't think about it, stopitstopitstopitstopit-_

'They don't need to be.' And with that Sebastian had leaned slightly closer, losing the softness in his expression as his mouth turned up into a smirk. Kurt felt his blush rise higher as he desperately tried to keep his racing thoughts under control.

_He knows, he knows, he knows, shit, what if he knows, he doesn't know, stop it, he doesn't know-_

'More coffee? If there's one thing I can't stand, it's a cold latte. You want another mocha?' Sebastian had leaned back when Kurt snapped out of his thoughts, surveying his coffee cup with an exaggerated look of disdain and pulling his wallet out of the back of his jeans. Kurt smiled and nodded slightly, turning to stare out of the window as Sebastian walked up to the counter once more.

Kurt had been ignoring the thought in his mind for a long time, the one that he could ignore for most of the day but he still felt it, like a mosquito buzzing around his skull that he couldn't escape. Not that he necessarily wanted to escape it, of course, but he couldn't help but think that things would be _easier_ if he could trap it, perhaps just for a little while. At school he had maintained some kind of anonymity, a ghost wandering down the corridors in comparison to the loud mouth of Rachel Berry or the wild frizz of that Ben Israel kid. Every now and then he had a dirty look shot at him when he spoke too loudly or wore something particularly "out there", but for the most part he was ignored.

If he did think about it, if he did admit it, then he could say goodbye to his relatively safe life. The monthly slushies would become daily- hourly, even. He wouldn't be able to go one day without hearing an insult or being pushed or glared at. He was bullied now, to an extent (he still remembered that day when the jocks had been especially creative and nailed whatever they could find in the back yard to the roof) but it was nothing compared to the blatant _hatred_ they would feel if they ever found out this secret. His biggest secret.

He watched a bird peck at a discarded coffee cup in the parking lot as he thought about the last couple of months, those months where a _maybe _turned into a _definitely_. And now, as Sebastian settled himself into the chair opposite once more, talking a million miles per second in a nervous tone about _whatever_and pushing a white cup towards him, he realized that he wouldn't be able to hide it much longer.

'That girl said I was _adorable_, who says that, really, I mean apart from seventy year old women?' Sebastian looked disgusted at the very implication that he was even remotely cute, never mind adorable, and Kurt decided to keep his thoughts on the matter quiet. '- It's the braces, I swear to God, I look about ten.'

At this, Kurt smiled, mostly because of the uncomfortable look on Sebastian's face, but also because of the self-conscious way his mouth twisted, lips pressing together even tighter than before.

'How long have you had them?' He couldn't help ask. Sebastian grimaced before he replied.

'Just over a year. I can't wait to get them off, just a couple more months to go and I can start chewing gum again and go through the airport without setting off every detector.'

'Can I see?' Kurt didn't know why he'd asked the question, maybe because he was slightly intrigued by the flash of silver he sometimes caught as Sebastian was speaking quickly, or the extra effort he took to smile with his mouth closed most of the time.

Sebastian looked at him, slightly confused, before rolling his eyes and smiling widely for a second, closing his mouth almost instantly. Kurt saw two lines of clean silver running across white teeth for half a second, and decided that that was all he was going to see.

'They don't make you look ten.'

'Yes they do.' And now Sebastian _sounded_ ten; his voice took on a whiny quality and he glared at the table as he chewed on his bottom lip. Kurt's face softened into a smile and he fought the urge to ruffle the other boy's hair. '-But whatever, not long to go and I can always milk the "adorable" look to get free drinks. In the meantime, I have a small proposal for you.'

'What are you talking about, Sebastian?'

'I've been thinking; you need a way to beat Vocal Adrenaline and I need a way to piss them off.'

'…Yes?'

'So I have a plan.' A smile slid across his face as he leaned closer to Kurt, eyes shining as he took on a scheming look. This was not going to end well; Kurt could already tell.


	4. Chapter 4

Kurt, wait up!' As soon as he began walking away from his car the next morning, Mercedes was jogging across the parking lot to catch up with him, boots clipping against the concrete. 'Where the hell did you go yesterday? You were supposed to be giving me a ride home, _remember_? I had to hitch a lift with Berry, and there are only so many times I can hear about the history of show choir before I rip my own ears off. Kurt!'

'I'm sorry, okay? I forgot, I ended up going out for coffee with a friend and I just- I lost track of time.' He looked down at her and winced at the angry look on her face.

'Yeah, I know; I saw that guy from Vocal Adrenaline drag you off into the shadows yesterday, K, don't pretend you didn't sneak off.' Okay, so maybe his friends hadn't been quite as oblivious as he had thought. 'And do you have any idea what Berry is going to do to you if she finds out you're actually friends with one of the competition? You've seen the crazy in those eyes! She will skin you, Kurt. _Skin you_.' She leaned closer at this, halting the both of them and pressing one manicured nail into his chest.

'Look Mercedes, it's nothing to worry about. I met him a couple of weeks ago, that's all. Plus I think he's more on our side than theirs, which means technically he's not really competition. Much.' At this she perked up.

'Really? Did he give you information? Tell you their weak points? Spill!'

'No, nothing like that. Just leave it, okay? I'll tell you later.' They had reached the halls of McKinley high, and Kurt realized as he stepped closer to his locker that Mercedes was the least of his problems.

'Where were you yesterday? We talked to Dakota Stanley and it turns out that we need to raise an awful lot of money to hire him but we need to hire him so we've decided to consider some ideas and figure out the best plan of attack for hiring him and therefore becoming stars and therefore beating Vocal Adrenaline in any future competitions.' Rachel took a deep breath and then flashed a winning smile, leaning slightly against Kurt's locker.

'How much money do we need to raise?' He tentatively asked the question, hoping that he could get her to go off on a tangent and forget his temporary disappearance the day before.

'A lot. We're thinking either car wash or bake sale. And you didn't answer my question.' There was a slight flash of anger in her eyes now as she noticed Kurt's evasive stance. 'It is important to remember, Kurt, that Vocal Adrenaline are our enemies, and we can't forget that. Say we were to inadvertently give away crucial information about the New Directions and they used it against us; then where would we be? Kurt you cannot start making friends with them; you could be putting all of us at risk.'

Kurt thought fast, the story tumbling out of his mouth quickly as he attempted to look anywhere but Rachel's eyes.

'Oh, you mean that guy? Yeah, I met him a couple of weeks ago at Dad's tire shop. I saw him again at Carmel and he said something rude; I didn't fancy sticking around to be insulted, so I left.' Her face fell instantly, a mask of pity sliding across her features.

'Oh, Kurt; what did he say? Did he call you a loser, because I get that a lot, even though it's really hurtful and I-' She was cut off as a freezing wall of red ice slapped her across the face, pieces of ice rebounding onto Kurt's cream jacket as she opened her mouth in shock. Kurt turned to see two stocky guys in red jackets high-five each other as they stalked down the hallway, students parting as they walked. He turned back to Rachel, who was now attempting to wipe the red slush from her hair, and rolled his eyes.

'Come on.'

He dragged her into the girl's bathroom, guiding her forwards as she tried to blink the ice from her eyelashes. Once inside, he sat her down next to one of the sinks and yanked several paper towels from the holder, running the warm tap over them before raising them to wipe over her cheeks and nose. It was then that he noticed the tears slicing through the dye.

'Rachel?'

'I- I just don't get it. Why do they hate me so much?' Her voice was timid, quiet. A small, unkind part of him wished that it stayed at that volume, but he swiftly pushed it aside.

'They're just awful people, Rachel. One day you'll show them all how much better than them you are. We all will.' She watched him carefully, one eye still scrunched up from the cold, and her mouth twisted.

'Why are you being so nice to me?'

'We're all losers, there's no point trying to fight with each other when the whole world is trying to fight us too. You may be irritating, but no one deserves this.' She smiled slightly, watching the floor again.

'You don't either, you know.'

'Huh?' Rachel looked up at him as she spoke, combing her hair through with her fingers.

'Deserve this. I see them toss you into the dumpster every day. I should count myself lucky that all I get is a slushy to the face every now and then.'

'Yeah, well, I can deal with it. At least when Finn's there I get to take off my jacket. There's no way I can afford to replace something every time I get dumpster juice on it. Ugh.' She grimaced in sympathy before hopping down off the sink, running water over her hands and smoothing the pieces of ice out of the very ends of her hair. Giving it one last shake, she turned back, looking shy all of a sudden.

'Kurt?'

'Uh huh?'

'Are we friends?' His head shot up from his bag, where he had been looking for his travel sized hairspray for her to use. Looking at her, he saw less of the wannabe diva that dominated the choir room, and more of the five foot something girl who didn't really have anyone, not really.

'Sure, Rachel. I'd like that.' At that she beamed and stood a little taller, nodding once before striding towards the door. Kurt let a slight smile take over his face as she did, which only fell when she turned back for a second.

'And I still want to know what happened with the Carmel boy.' With this she flung the bathroom door open, leaving it to bang behind her as she left.

Yep, same old Rachel.

He began to follow her out, mentally planning the routes available where he wouldn't run into any of the Glee Club's tormentors, but heard his phone buzz in his pocket as he reached the door. Confused, he reached into his pocket to pick it up; the only people who texted him were Mercedes, Tina on occasion, and his Dad, and they were either in work or school. Ignoring the slight panic he felt at the thought that something might be wrong, he opened his messages, noticing a text from an unknown number.

'_Hey it's Sebastian. You need to a) take your number off your Facebook- anyone could get it, and b) meet me in the Lima Bean after school.'_

Blunt as the text was, Kurt send back a quick 'see you there' and wondered what it was that Sebastian had to tell him. It was most likely something to do with Vocal Adrenaline; when they had last gone for coffee the other boy had decided that he was going to help the New Directions beat them, and he was willing to do any spy work possible in order to do that. The final push had been them asking him to hand-wash all of their cars; Sebastian had resisted the urge to slice the tires of every single one (and at this Kurt had cringed; years of working in his Dad's shop didn't go away, no matter how irritating the other team was) and instead decided that he would work against them from within.

Throughout the day, Kurt couldn't help checking his phone every couple of minutes, wondering if Sebastian would text him again, at least to tell him what the information he had was, but he didn't. It wasn't until lunch that he had any contact with him at all, and even then it was because Kurt texted him first.

'_**I completely forgot- Glee Club tonight, I'll be about an hour late, okay?'**_

'_No problem, I'll catch up on homework- see you then.'_

Annoyingly blunt again. Kurt ignored the growing butterflies as last period grew closer, anxious to see his friend and figure out what was going on. That is, until he walked into Glee Club and noticed the gathering of cheerleaders and club members milling around.

'What the-'

'Car wash, Hummel, grab a sponge.' Santana brushed past him, linking pinkies with the tall blonde next to her and swinging a bucket in her other hand. Rachel swiftly followed, nodding enthusiastically at Kurt before snatching up a sponge and some soap and jogging after the cheerleaders.

'Mercedes- what?' She rolled her eyes as she looked at him, thrusting a sponge in his direction and nodding towards the door.

'Raising money for Stanley whatever. They figured it was better than a bake sale. C'mon, we can wash yours together.' She threaded her arm through his, marching them both out of the building. Kurt only hoped that it wouldn't take long; the clock was ticking and he was dying to meet Sebastian.

For Glee Club, of course.

'Help me, she's lost her mind.' Kurt dropped into his seat, cradling a cup of coffee with one hand as he slammed another one down onto the table. Sebastian scrambled for it, steadying the cup as coffee sloshed over the edges, and looked across at Kurt in confusion, noting the slightly damp shirt and hair falling across his eyes.

'Hello to you too-?' He tentatively asked the question, raising an eyebrow and blowing slightly on his coffee to cool it. Kurt sighed deeply, shoulders falling as he relaxed back into the cushion of the chair.

'It's Mercedes. She broke my windshield today.' At this Sebastian's expression dropped into a frown, a slight hint of anger in his eyes as he noted the vulnerable twist of Kurt's lips.

'Why would she do that?'

'I don't know!' And now Kurt's anger was taking over again. 'She started talking about her heart and was trying to figure out if I was crushing on anyone and then I'm not entirely sure what happened because there were Cheerios everywhere- but she busted my baby!'

'… You're gonna have to elaborate here, Kurt.'

'My car. My beautiful car. It is destroyed. And there's no way my Dad will let me have it back once he's fixed it, which means I have no car, which means I have to get a ride to school every day, not to mention the fact that my best friend is acting like a complete nutcase and I have no idea what I've even done!' Kurt finished, stopping for air as he leaned back into the chair, rubbing his eyes.

'Wow.'

'Yeah. I just wish I knew what I'd done to piss her off so much.' The edges of Kurt's lips turned down again as he considered the strange behaviour of his friend. Sebastian paused and breathed in deeply before speaking.

'I think, from your babbling, I may have an idea why she's so mad.' Kurt looked up hopefully. If only he knew what he had done, maybe he could work on restoring normality in his life, and more importantly in the relationship between himself and his best friend. Sebastian didn't wait for him to reply before carrying on.

'Kurt, have you considered that maybe Mercedes has a little but if a crush on you?' Kurt scoffed, a giggle escaping as he considered the idea. That is, until he noticed that his friend wasn't laughing.

'No, no there's no way- We're just friends!'

'Are you sure about that?'

'Yes!' Kurt replied forcefully, shaking his head in disbelief.

'Well what did she say to you after the window thing? Or did she just walk away?'

'She said, she- crap.'

'Huh?' The other boy's green eyes were filled with sympathy, his mouth twisting as he tried not to smirk.

Kurt huffed loudly, crossing his arms before continuing.

'She said I busted her heart.'

So then I'm right; she likes you.' A slow but understanding smile spread across his face, only working to confuse Kurt further.

'But I don't like her!' Gesturing wildly as he spoke, Kurt's eyes widened and he began to chew his bottom lip as he tried to think how to resolve the situation. Would Mercedes understand if he spoke I her and told her he wasn't interested? Or would she break off their friendship entirely, costing him his best friend?

'Kurt, just breathe. Drink your coffee.' He did so, letting the heat of the drink soothe his racing mind slightly. Only when he had placed the cup gently back on the table did Sebastian continue.

'It's not that big a deal, okay? You just need to sit down and talk to her. She'll understand. She won't like it, but if she's your friend she'll understand.' Meeting the other boy's eyes, Kurt sucked his lower lip into his mouth again and considered what his friend's reaction might be. From the display of anger in the parking lot earlier, it didn't seem like Mercedes would be too thrilled at hearing that he just wasn't interested in her, and he didn't exactly want to bring her –admittedly quite scary- wrath down on him further. But he didn't have an excuse; he had lied, right there, on the spot when she had confronted him about his crush and he hadn't been able to stop himself from agreeing when she mentioned Rachel. Maybe he could pretend that it _was_ Rachel; the two were sort of friends after he had cleaned her up in the girls bathroom yesterday… But he had a feeling Mercedes would see right through that. Not to mention that would mean spending a prolonged amount of time with Rachel Berry. As much as the two had the potential to get on, he couldn't bring himself to fake an interest in her. _Maybe he could tell Mercedes the truth…_

'What?' And yep, he had definitely said that out loud. Sebastian was engrossed in adding sugar to his coffee, swirling a spoon in it as he spoke, but looked upwards as he waited for Kurt's answer.

'What?'

'You said you could tell her 'the truth'?' And now he looked back down to his cup, wrapping both hands around it and leaning in, lowering his voice. 'What truth?' Sebastian's eyes were more wary than confused; expecting an answer. Kurt realized that he had been right the last time; he _knew._

'N-nothing.'

'It sure doesn't sound like nothing.'

'Well it is nothing. And even if it was something, it'd hardly be _your_ business.' Sebastian recoiled as Kurt snapped, gripping his coffee tighter and raising his eyebrows at the sudden anger. A sudden wave of regret struck Kurt, and he immediately continued, softening as he spoke 'I'm sorry, I just- I mean… I have a feeling you already know and I don't- I can't-' He dropped his head into his hands, elbows resting heavily on either side of his coffee cup. Several seconds of silence passed as he clenched his eyes shut, the low buzz of the chatter of the people around them soothing him slightly.

'Hey, it's no problem.' A hand suddenly wrapped softly around one of his wrists, pulling it gently away from his face. 'Just- It's okay.'

'It's not. I don't even know what people will say. I haven't even said it.' Kurt's voice dropped nearly to a whisper as the sentence trailed off, eyes glancing quickly around for onlookers.

'I know. And it's still okay.' Sebastian smiled warmly, squeezing Kurt's wrist tighter for a second and then wrapping his hand back around his cup. Kurt smiled back and then breathed out shakily, looking once more around the coffee shop and lifting his coffee to his lips before lowering his cup again, suddenly remembering something.

'Oh wait, what was the thing you had to tell me?' Sebastian drained the remains of his coffee quickly before replying, crossing his arms on the surface of the table and mercifully accepting the change in topic.

'What thing?'

'You said I needed to meet you; I presume there was a reason…?' Sebastian gazed at him blankly for a moment before shaking his head slightly as a look of realisation took over.

'Oh, the thing- yeah, VA's doing Sweet Dreams for Sectionals; that shouldn't affect you… but the big one is that I've heard whispers of Gaga going around for Regionals.'

'Regionals? They've planned that far ahead- what if they don't win Sectionals?' At this Sebastian stared at him for a second.

'They always win, Kurt. And yeah, they plan all year for competition- doesn't your club?' Kurt thought about the shambles they had been recently and the current lack of any real teacher, not to mention the random focus on whatever they thought was important this week and the patchy attendance of most of the members.

'Um- yes?' Sebastian rolled his eyes.

'Well you need to start. They're only considering options for now, but they'll have a definite decision a week or so before Sectionals, ready to rehearse after their win.' Reeling, Kurt considered the information. If Vocal Adrenaline were really this organised, his little choir was never going to measure up.

'Okay, I'll try and get them to work harder.'

'You have to; I really don't want to see them win again.' Kurt nodded once, determination filling him as he considered how to get the rest of the club on board. One thing was certain; he'd need help. Finn and Rachel were the obvious options, Finn being the male lead and Rachel being Rachel, but dread filled him at the thought of talking to her, and the nerves that twisted his stomach whenever he thought about talking to Finn made themselves known as soon as he considered it. Lifting his cup to his mouth, he decided to draw the conversation away from Glee, and his thoughts away from a certain quarterback, and focus on something else instead.

'Ugh, this is incredible. This is entirely your fault; most of my clothing money is being wasted on coffee nowadays, you know?' Sebastian shot him a look of disbelief, and immediately pulled his phone out of the weathered brown satchel resting next to his feet and began to attempt to count how many coffees each item of Kurt's clothing was worth. Kurt allowed himself to smile (there was no point in it; Sebastian would be there all day) and thought once more about Mercedes. He would tell her the truth, he decided, and hope that the two of them could still be friends. And even if they couldn't, he decided, watching Sebastian open the calculator on his phone with a disbelieving look, he wasn't completely alone.


	5. Chapter 5

'5, 6, 7, 8-' Mr Shuester wandered around the room, occasionally mentioning ways the small group of students could make. Kurt, from his safe spot at the back of the choir room where he could dance without actually putting in any serious effort – his sweater was _Marc Jacobs_, did his teacher really think he would allow himself to _sweat_ in it? Instead he raised his arms in time to the music and stepped back and forth when required, attempting to stop his internal monologue about the dancing of the rest of the group under control. This wasn't working however, and he let himself cast a skeptical gaze over everyone.

Rachel, enthusiastic as she was, was close to taking someone's eye out with the wild swings of her arms and the small jump added to every step. Her excitement was enough to have earned her a few strange looks from the rest of the group, but at least she was trying, unlike most of the others. The cheerleaders were keeping up but not injecting the same kind of strength they usually used on the field, except for maybe the blonde, who was effortlessly stepping in time with the music and swaying slightly, eyes fixed on a spot directly in front of her as she performed a twirl, perfectly synchronized with the rest of the group. This only made Finn's lanky form, wedged in between Quinn and Puck, look even gawkier, his arms desperately flailing and his face wielding that kind of confusion that usually appeared when he was speaking to his girlfriend lately. Kurt shuddered slightly as he watched Finn's left foot land heavily on Quinn's, earning him a death glare and a pointed flick of her curled ponytail, and looked to his right to see Mercedes grimacing too. She caught Kurt's eye and pulled a face, giving up entirely on the choreography and doing the Macarena behind Artie's back.

'Mercedes, focus!' She rolled her eyes and went back to step touching, mumbling to Kurt out of the side of her mouth.

'So what's going on with you and that Carmel boy? You've been out for coffee with him like, four times this week…' She raised an eyebrow as she spoke, and Kurt flushed slightly at her tone. Although he had shakily admitted the truth to her a week ago, he was still cautious of bringing up the fact that he was gay –and god, was it weird to say, even in his head- around her. Perhaps because of her misplaced crush, but mostly because of the fear of someone overhearing them. Most of the school had already assumed whatever they wanted about him, and the murmured insults that followed him everywhere he went cut that much deeper because of it, but he still preferred that it wasn't actually common knowledge. Since Finn had joined things had been slightly easier; although he refused to acknowledge Kurt's presence in class or in the hallways, he at least stopped throwing him in the dumpster every morning. Despite this, however, Puck and the rest of the football continued to torment him, doubling their previous efforts in retaliation for Finn joining glee.

The biggest problem, however, wasn't the football team or how his friends would react, but rather his Dad. Kurt could never entirely pin down what his father thought about him, and the idea of him finding out was terrifying. Would he be thrown out of his house? He had Mercedes, sure, but with her Christian family he hardly thought they'd take in a teen homeless gay guy. Sebastian briefly crossed his mind, but he pushed the thought of him aside. He wouldn't have to decide which friend to move in with, because his Dad wouldn't find out. He couldn't. Which led to another massive problem.

He leveled a death glare at Brittany, who was going through the choreography for the eighth time while the rest caught up. She was a strange friend to have, nothing like the controlling nature of Rachel or Tina, who was quiet and kind, but something about her still relaxed Kurt. Brittany was completely unlike any cheerleader he had come across before, in that she was gentle, trustworthy and more importantly _real_. Sure, sometimes he took a couple of seconds to keep up with her but as soon as she had invited herself to his house on Friday because 'Lord Tubbington was a single lady too, in his mind, and not dancing would be offensive to him', he knew that he'd like her. Despite this, he did not appreciate the offhand comment that he, _Kurt Hummel_, was on the football team. Not only had his Dad sat him down hours afterwards and asked about 'plays' or whatever they were, he had also demanded that he go to the next game. Which was on Thursday. Which was three days away. Ignoring the panic rising through his body and remembering his friend's question, he turned his head slightly to Mercedes, who was smiling softly.

'It's nothing like that, he's my friend.' He spoke as quietly as he could, darting his eyes around the room to check that no one had heard. Santana had tilted her head to the side a couple of feet in front of him, but had gone back to concentrating on Mr Schue when Brittany had murmured something about dolphins in her ear, blonde hair tangling with shiny dark curls as they whispered.

'Brittany, back in your own space! Rachel, less… oomph, on the next move, okay?' Mr Shuester pleaded with the group as Artie rolled too far forward and Finn's foot crept dangerously close to Quinn's once more.

'Okay, just- if it's something more, you know you can tell me, right?' Mercedes had thankfully lowered her voice completely, barely whispering as she registered the panic on Kurt's face. She had been making an extra effort to be his friend lately, mostly because she had broken his car, his _baby_, but also because of the several hours he and Rachel had spent in the library arguing which Wicked song was best (which was ridiculous, as if it _wasn't_ 'Defying Gravity'- she could shove 'Popular' up her _ass_, as far as he was concerned).

'Yeah I know, and thanks, but it's really not.' The conversation was over as far as he was concerned. Despite his friend's quiet tone, Santana had obviously cocked her ear back again; detecting some form of scandal like a cat sensed its prey. Pressing his lips together, Kurt fell back into the dance moves, glancing up at the clock and almost sighing aloud in relief as he realized there were only a couple of minutes to go until he could escape the endless stepping. His heart dropped once more, though, when he remembered that after practice he was going to have to talk to Finn about joining the football team. He and Finn were on okay terms, sure, but that didn't mean that he would necessarily agree to help. Kurt considered ways to talk about it, how to lead up to asking the other boy's help without seeming like he was desperate or trying to hit on him. It would probably be pointless, and he would be back to square one when it came to getting on the team. But it was worth a try.

When Mr Shue eventually decided that they'd had enough for the day after Rachel had stormed out about _something_, he decided this was his chance.

'Finn? I needed to ask you something.' He tried not to bounce slightly as he asked, a little hope daring to show itself due to the slight smile on Finn's face.

'Thanks, but I already have a date to the prom- but I'm flattered; I know how important dances are to teen gays.' He smiled as he spoke, oblivious to Kurt's rapidly falling face.

'I'm not gay.' He felt Mercedes' glare rather than saw it, her presence behind him suddenly more tangible as he fought the blush tinting his neck.

'Oh.' And now Finn seemed to realize how his comment sounded, his smile dropping and his mouth twisting into a confused expression (which was basically his default, Kurt couldn't help but notice).

'I just- I needed a favor.' Finn's eyebrows raised and Kurt pretended not to notice Mercedes walking past him and bumping his elbow, clearly having realized what he wanted.

'Sure, what is it?'

'I kind of need to- well I have to- get on the football team?' His voice raised as his question trailed off, nowhere near as bold as he had felt seconds before. Finn seemed to consider it for a minute and then the left side of his mouth quirked up.

'Yeah sure dude, I think Coach might let you try out tomorrow if I ask him.'

'Really?' Kurt was shocked; he had expected an awkward no or even to be mocked by the taller boy, but Finn was now smiling even more. He refused to acknowledge the feeling that he was being set up and instead nodded briskly and said a quick goodbye, jogging slightly to catch up with Mercedes, who was now nearly halfway down the hallway.

'Merced-'

'Okay, first of all; how stupid are you, because those jocks will _not_ like you walking onto their field, never mind, trying out, and second, '_I'm not gay'_- I thought you were okay with who you were, how could you just blurt that out?'

'Telling you doesn't mean I can tell everyone! Besides, at least at the moment the football team only assume things about me- can you imagine if they actually knew?' Mercedes allowed him this, her face softening slightly and her chin dipping as she nodded gently. 'Plus I _need_ to get on the team; my Dad thinks I'm on it and demands to come to the game Thursday.'

'_What? _Why does he think you're on the team?'

'It's a long story. Just, trust me on this, okay? If I don't get on the team, then you can tell me 'I told you so' all you want- will you just _please_ be with me on this one?' Her mouth tightened into a line, but she nodded again, halting as they reached her next class.

'Fine. Just- be careful, Kurt, okay?' She looked concerned, pressing against the door with her back and stepping into the classroom. He nodded and allowed himself to breathe out heavily, already wondering if he would regret his decision tomorrow. Nerves building, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and sent a quick text.

'_**I think I've just done something incredibly stupid.'**_

The reply was almost instant.

'_It might not be that stupid, whatever it is. Breathe. Coffee later?' _

Over the last week or so, Kurt had discovered that Sebastian had an uncanny ability to calm Kurt when he was freaking out, whether it was over a stain on a satin shirt or a feud with his friends.

'_**Sure.'**_

When Kurt finally left his classroom, he was greeted almost immediately by a slushie to the face. Sighing, he realized it had been coming; he hadn't been subjected to this particular form of torture in nearly a full week; obviously he couldn't be safe for too long. He made his way to the bathroom, weaving between other students eager to get home and remaining unnoticed by the majority of them. One cheerleader swerved out of his way to avoid the blue dye dripping from his elbow, worried about her uniform but apart from this the crowd simply carried on with their lives. Pushing through the doors, Kurt swept his eyes around to check he was alone. As he was, this time, he immediately thrust his head under the warm tap, running his fingers through his hair and attempting to force out the sticky clumps of ice. His hands stuck a few times, and the dye ran down into his eyes as he ducked further under, stinging a little. Wiping the blue from his cheeks and rinsing his hands, he stood, deciding that that was the best he could do. His fringe, rather than lying flat and limp, stuck up with the syrup embedded into it, creating a messy look. He ran his hands over it, trying to make it at least lie flat, but it was no use. Water dripped from his ears as he pulled a comb from his bag, hoping to get the slushie out somehow, but after he had run it down the sides he gave up. With his hair off of his forehead, he looked- older? Less babyfaced, perhaps. He moved his head side to side, cursing his slight chubby cheeks and pushing his jaw forward to try and create more of a line. Useless.

Kurt pulled his spare shirt out of the bottom of his bag, a plain black tee that he had for absolute emergencies. Glancing at his ruined white button-up, he decided this was one of those emergencies, and quickly stepped into a cubicle, sliding his now soaked shirt off his shoulders and pulling the soft tee over his head. He had thought to wear jeans today, thank _god_, and they could survive the blue slush; they were supposed to be artfully ruined anyway, one more splash of blue couldn't make too much of a difference.

He gave himself a final once-over in the mirror, deciding that this was the bst it was going to get. His hair still stuck up awkwardly at the front and there was a purplish stain on the left side of his neck, but nothing that would be noticed instantly. Sliding the strap of his satchel over his shoulder, he strode to the bathroom door, pushing it open warily as he checked the hallway for any of his tormentors. Thankfully it was clear, and it was safe to make his way outside, where Mercedes was in her car, texting someone and checking her watch every couple of minutes.

'Where have you been? I was looking everywhere for you- everyone's gone home, are you alright?' She sounded more concerned than angry, and looked him once up and down before continuing.

'Slushie, huh?' He nodded, pressing his lips together and pulling his t-shirt slightly away from his chest to stop it sticking due to some of the syrup still lingering there.

'Should have known it was coming, they haven't got me since Wednesday.' She pulled a sympathetic face and drove out of the parking lot, concentrating on the road ahead as Kurt ran a nervous hand through his hair again.

'Can you drop me off at the Lima Bean, Mercedes? I'm meeting Sebastian.'

'Oh _are_ you now?' She smirked straight ahead, glancing at him from the corner of her eye.

'Shut up.'

'I didn't say anything, K.'

They drove in silence for a couple of minutes, turning up the radio and angling the air conditioning so that Kurt's hair dried faster. Eventually Mercedes' silver car pulled into a space outside the coffee shop, the radio halting and the disco ball she had hanging from the mirror swaying a little. She looked at him expectantly.

'Shall I pick you up?' Ever since she had smashed the crap out of his car the week before, she had decided that 'sorry' was never going to be enough, and had taken to acting as his personal chauffeur, driving him to and from school and often picking him up from the Lima Bean when he needed to return home. Kurt thought it was a bit much, and had tried to convince her that it was okay, she didn't have to take him _everywhere_, but she had insisted. This time, however, he spotted Sebastian's cherry red car perched in a spot just outside the doors, and decided to take his second risk of the day.

'No, I'm okay; I think I can get a ride home.' She appeared to fight the comment she wanted to make, mouth pressing together to hide her smile as he jumped out of the car.

'_Bye_, Mercedes.' He rolled his eyes and pulled his bag back onto his shoulder, stepping further towards the small door of the coffee shop as she started the engine once more and drove off, the radio starting up again and fading as she drove further away. Kurt chuckled a little at the look she threw back at him as she got back onto the road; she really needed to understand that he could just be _friends_ with Sebastian. And if he ran a hand through his hair one more time before he stepped into the Lima Bean and checked to make sure that his shirt wasn't clinging in all the wrong places, it certainly didn't prove her point. At all.

Luckily he found Sebastian quickly; the boy was flicking through a worn paperback, highlighter in hand as he frowned at the words. When he slid into the seat opposite him, Sebastian looked up briefly, looked back down at his book, and then looked up once more, eyes lingering as his mouth dropped slightly open. Kurt felt himself flush a little and hastened to explain.

'I was slushied- today, at school. It's why I'm late. And why, the-uh, hair.' He pulled a face and focused on the book in front of his friend. Did he really look that bad?

'No, I-uh,' Sebastian cleared his throat and spoke again, his voice coming out hoarser than usual.

'Your hair looks fine- good, actually.' He flicked his eyes quickly away from Kurt's as he stumbled a little over the words.

'Really?'

'Yeah.' Kurt ducked his head as Sebastian focused his attention on shoving the paperback into his satchel, marking his page with a fold in the top right corner and tucking the yellow highlighter into the front zip pocket. Once he had folded the bag closed, he crossed his arms on the table in front of him, his full attention now on Kurt, a flash of silver showing as he smiled quickly.

'So what is this 'incredibly stupid' thing, then?' He grinned as he spoke, baring his teeth in a dangerous expression, ready to mock whatever it was that Kurt had managed to get himself into.

'I kind of- have to join the football team.'

'The ones who bully you?' Sebastian's smile dropped, small lines appearing above his brows as he studied Kurt's face. 'You can't be serious!'

'Dead serious. My Dad thinks I'm on it, so I have to get on it.'

'Are you any good?'

'I don't know! How hard can it be? I mean if Finn could do it- and trust me, it's a good job he's tall because that boy has the brains of a matchstick- then I definitely can, right?'

Sebastian watched him incredulously, mouth opening and closing as he considered Kurt's logic.

'Don't you think- you know what, I'll get you coffee.' With this, he stood and walked stiffly to the counter, ordering the same drink for Kurt that he had the first time around and patiently waiting at the end for it, clearly thinking something over. Kurt stared at him, confused, and waited for him to come back, wondering why Sebastian was being so strange about the idea of Kurt joining the team. Sure, he knew that the idea was risky, but he didn't think that it was _so _bad. Apparently his friend though, because Sebastian held himself tensely, chewing on his lower lip as he said a quiet thanks to the girl handing him the coffee. When he came to sit down again, Kurt raised an eyebrow at him

'What?'

'What was that for? You just got up!' Sebastian stared at the table, eyes widening as he considered his response.

'I'm just a little concerned- have you thought about how they'll react to this? The football team, I mean?'

'Yes, but I've got help. Finn's the quarterback, he's in glee- he said he's going to help me get in.' Sebastian considered this for a few seconds before nodding slightly, his head jerking awkwardly as his eyes flicked away from Kurt's once more.

'Well just- text me. After the tryout, I mean. Whenever it is.'

'Tomorrow.'

'Just text afterwards, okay?'

'Yeah.'

There was a tense pause as Kurt sipped at his coffee, Sebastian worrying his lower lip once more and tracing the tip of his finger around the rim of the cup. Eventually he seemed to snap out of his daze, his gaze flicking up to Kurt's hair once more before he spoke, green eyes locking onto blue.

'So why does your Dad think you're on the team? No offense, but I wouldn't exactly expect you to be involved in football..'

'Trust me, it's a long story.' Kurt told him about Brittany's moment of insanity, pretending not to notice the way his friend's hands shook slightly at the mention of the single ladies dance and the sequined leotard. Eventually the pair were laughing loudly enough to disturb half of the patrons in the small coffee shop, but after a while, neither of them could find it in themselves to really care.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: This one's short but hopefully sweet? RL has been a bit difficult this week, so I haven't felt up to writing as much, but I should be back on track and able to write more for the next chapter, where I'm hoping to really get into some of the drama that's coming (because it couldn't really stay fluffy and sweet forever, could it?) I hope you enjoy this chapter and if you've got time I posted an angsty little AU fic for Kurtbastian week on my profile that I'd really like you guys to check out :) Reviews are like crack to me - you have no idea how much I literally kicky-feet every time I get one so feel free to drop one in that little box! And again, really sorry for the late update and lack of general length :/**

When Kurt gets around to calling Sebastian he's sitting on a bench in the McKinley locker room, slightly sweaty, and trying to unflatten his hair with one hand. Despite all of this, he is happy, smiling as he dials the number and lifts the phone to his ear. Sebastian picks up instantly, as if he were waiting for the call, and Kurt indulges himself by imagining Sebastian chewing on his fingernails cross-legged by the phone, waiting on Kurt. He doesn't know why he likes the image; he supposes it's the feeling that he is being thought of, although he knows in reality his friend probably just has his phone close and heard his ringtone early.

'Kurt? What happened, how was it?'

'I got on the team!' He blurted it out before he could control himself, excitement and relief taking over. Although he wasn't the biggest football fan, his moments on the field had been exhilarating, not to mention the looks he had managed to inspire on the faces of the rest of the football team. He hadn't known that what he had done was right, but if Coach Tanaka's reaction was anything to go by, he was pretty good. He heard a loud sigh of relief as Sebastian listened to his breakdown of what had happened at the tryout.

'That's great, Kurt, I'm really glad things worked out. I guess now you can invite your Dad to the game, huh?' His voice sounded strange, airy, as if he was holding back from saying something. Kurt figured it was probably nothing to do with him; Sebastian was always stressing over things he didn't need to.

'Yeah, I'll have to tell him later about the one on Thursday… Which that means I have to go to practice every day this week- rain check on coffee tomorrow?'

'Yeah, I have a ton of homework to do anyway, it's probably best I get my history paper out of the way tomorrow so I don't have to give up sleep for the weekend.' _Again_, Kurt thought as he remembered the barrage of texts he received hundreds of texts at various hours of the morning last weekend. At one point Sebastian had gotten truly bored and attempted to text the entirety of _Mean Girls_ from memory, getting impressively far before giving up somewhere around chasing Shane Oman.

'Well… I'll see you Friday still, right?'

'Of course.' Sebastian sounded surer now, less evasive, and Kurt heard crackling over the phone as he breathed out heavily. He hesitated before asking what he wanted to, pushing his hair back off his forehead and grimacing at the sweat beading under his fringe.

'Or- you know, you could come to the game?' There was a longer pause now as Sebastian considered it, and Kurt held his breath as he awaited the answer. Although he had managed to get onto the team, the lingering fear remained, as the other members of the football team still saw him as the resident loser. Something about the idea of Sebastian in the stands, cheering him on, made him feel safer about the whole thing and less like he was suddenly a part of the real-life _Carrie_.

'Don't I need tickets or something?' Sebastian's voice was quiet now, but not necessarily angry. Kurt had a hard time pinpointing what his friend wanted, and momentarily wished that he could see his face, try to understand the emotion in his eyes. He tried anyway, though, tentatively replying and half expecting Sebastian to immediately shut down.

'I could get them to keep one at the door for you- I mean, if you want to go.'

'I don't know- I have homework and VA rehearsals and-' Kurt's heart sank. Sebastian had a lot on in his life; how did Kurt expect him to go to some silly high school football game? Taking a breath, he decided that it didn't matter. His Dad would be there anyway, so he wouldn't be entirely alone, and he figured that the strange sort of friendship he had with Finn would come in handy if any of his new teammates tried anything.

'It's fine, you don't have to-'

'I'm sure I can make time.' They spoke at the same time, Kurt pausing shocked after he heard what Sebastian had said. Then he allowed a smile to spread across his face.

'Really?' He didn't dare believe what he was hearing; he was so sure that Sebastian would have other things to do.

'Yes, I can have a night off. Plus, games don't last that long, I'll have time to work when I get back.'

'Okay then, I'll see you Thursday?'

'Yeah.'

And with that they hung up, Kurt still smiling as he pocketed his phone. He wiped his forehead once more, decided he was taking a _long_ shower when he got home, and pulled on his boots, walking out of the locker room towards the parking lot.

When Sebastian hung up, he couldn't escape the sinking feeling in his stomach. Although he wanted to support his friend, wanted to go and see him kick ass in his football game, he still had the constant fear that something was going to happen to Kurt. Sebastian wasn't an idiot; he knew how bad the situation was at McKinley. Sometimes Kurt showed up with wet hair and a bag of clothes, as he had that day, and sometimes he showed up grimacing at the sweet smell he couldn't get out of his hair. These things, as much as they worried him, weren't what Sebastian was really worried about. Kurt was small, as much as he tried to deny it, and his strength was only a practiced façade. Sebastian noticed other things, like the tears threatening to well up when he knocked an old bruise on the corner of the table or the cuts under his nails where he had tried to pull himself up out of dumpsters. Kurt thinks he's being stupid when he demands to know what has happened that day, but the truth is that Sebastian _worried_. He worried like he's never worried about anyone before, except maybe his sister, and he couldn't stop the nervous twisting of his fingers when he found out that Kurt was on the football team at his school.

He had sounded cheerful on the phone, probably ecstatic at the thought of his Dad attending the game, but in Sebastian's mind there was always that _worry._ What if the football players decided he was pushing them by joining the team and they hurt him? Or one of the other players on the team tackled him too much or the crowd simply didn't cheer for him and just stared in silence? Kurt was fragile; Sebastian had learned that in the couple of weeks they had been talking, and the last thing he wanted was for someone to break him.

'Sebastian!'

He sighed and rolled his eyes, turning to see Richard strolling towards him, a wad of sheet music tucked under his arm and a cell phone dangling from his other hand. He was a couple of inches shorter than Sebastian, but stockier, muscles showing in his arms where Sebastian's were all gangly skin and bone. His sandy hair was slicked back over his ears, slightly too long and tickling the back of his neck.

'What, Richard?' Rich was the captain of Vocal Adrenaline; he had control over just about everyone except for Dakota Stanley, and this meant that he had almost complete control over Sebastian. Luckily for the latter, Richard exactly the sharpest tool in the shed, and most of the time needed around thirty people to help him learn one line, never mind an entire song.

'You need to teach me the lines for next week.' Just like that. Richard never offered a 'please' or a 'thank you', simply barked orders and expected people to follow him. The main reason that Sebastian was even a part of VA in the first place was because Rich had basically forced him into it, striding up to him one day and demanding that he help him learn lines. He had claimed it was because Sebastian had the best test scores in English, but had not been careful enough to disguise the way his eyes roved over Sebastian as he asked, cheeks tinting pink as he set his jaw.

Richard was attractive, sure, but Sebastian wasn't interested. He spent too much time bullying those younger than him and not enough time actually utilizing the few brain cells he had. He had seen the boy shove others into walls, thrust books onto the floor, even seen him cram pieces of cheese into someone's locker for some unknown reason, and couldn't think of anyone who was more unpleasant. But his status as glee captain meant that he had to be obeyed when it came to the team.

'Sure. Now?' Sebastian kept his speech as blunt as possible, hopefully making it clear that he didn't want to be anywhere near Richard, but failed, as the other boy's eyes lit up and he gestured for Sebastian to lead the way to the choir room.

Shuddering at the thought of _why_ exactly Richard wanted to walk behind him, Sebastian walked briskly to the room and burst inside, drawing out a chair and sitting on it before Richard even had a chance to catch up.

'What song is it that you're having a ridiculous amount of trouble with?'

'_Sweet Dreams_.'

'You're supposed to know that! And it's a duet with Melissa- you have even less to learn than usual!'

'I know, but I can't quite get it in my head; I need more space or something.'

'Oh trust me; your head is _definitely_ big enough.' It seemed as if Richard didn't know if he was being insulted or complimented; his face became confused as Sebastian watched, Richard's muddy brown eyes growing darker as he made a decision about the comment and spoke bluntly to Sebastian again.

'You're insulting me.'

'Caught on, have you?'

'Don't.' Richard's voice had a hint of venom in it now, his mouth forming a tense line as he glared at him. Sebastian made a face, surprised at Richard's anger; he had made subtle comments before and he hadn't caught on; why was he so offended now? He decided to call Richard out on his thinly veiled threat, clearing his throat and forcing a polite smile onto his face.

'Or what?'

'I just wouldn't if I were you. You never know what might happen.' Sebastian recoiled slightly at the threat in Richard's voice, smile freezing on his face as he tried to ignore the cold feeling that had dropped into his stomach. Richard stood and walked away, snatching his bag up from where he had dropped it and scattering the sheet music across the table and floor. He slammed the door behind him, the wall shaking slightly with the force, and the sound of his footsteps faded as he walked further and further from the room.

Sebastian took a deep, shuddering breath and knelt to pick the papers up from the floor.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: IT'S SHORT I'M SORRY. Relationship developments here if you squint though, and more Sebastian POV, which I think I just might find easier to write… I will go back to Kurt though; I need an element of mystery for what's coming up with Sebastian later. This one's late because of Kurtbastian week basically, which I ended up getting more involved in that I thought. Don't judge me; oneshots are like crack to me.**

**EDIT: Thanks for pointing out the mistake guys, completely missed that one! It's been edited, clearly I need to stop writing at stupid o'clock in the morning before my brain starts working properly...**

By the time Thursday rolled around Sebastian was sure he'd rather stab himself in his own eye than set foot on the football field. The game had never been his thing; when it came to sports he drew the line just after lacrosse, and there were far too many angry looking kids on the team for his liking. When he eventually spotted Kurt, basically a dot on a bench from how high Sebastian was in the stand, his heart sank as he realized how _tiny _his friend was. His face appeared to betray this, as a perky ginger woman next to him bounced up and down and attempted to speak to him over the din of the crowd.

'Some people are saying they might win this time!' Her voice was full of hope, something that the faces around them lacked, and as Sebastian watched she waved brightly at a curly haired man standing near the front of the stands. He returned the wave with a confused expression and Sebastian fought the urge to roll his eyes at the loud sigh that escaped the woman next to him.

Kurt was frantically waving at someone in the stands when Sebastian next looked for him; presumably his Dad, who had apparently closed his business up early purely so that he'd get to the game in plenty of time. Glancing around the stands, Sebastian tried to pinpoint who was waving back, hoping for a glimpse of Kurt's father. Was it that tall businessman smiling slightly on to the field? The older man in the woeful knitted sweater near the front? There was a baseball cap bobbing around just in front of Sebastian, and he heard an 'excuse me' in a deep voice as he lifted his satchel off the floor, making room for the man to pass while staring at the small group of football players in red meters below him. Kurt had noticed him now, and cocked his head to the side, a wide smile taking over his face. When Sebastian returned it he felt slightly less worried; Kurt seemed okay, and most of the meaner looking players were already jogging into position. He settled back to enjoy the game, figuring that it might not be so bad if Kurt couldn't play; at least he wouldn't have to watch him get crushed by one of the heavier players of the opposing team.

He was wrong; it was bad.

Not, however, for the reason he expected, but instead because of the accidental friend he seemed to have made. The overly cheerful woman next to him had been so enthusiastic about the game he was pretty sure she had almost deafened him with her last yell, and at one point she had taken tiny pieces of apple out of her bag and inspected them for several minutes before popping them into her mouth and sanitizing her hands. She was the strangest woman that Sebastian had ever come across, and that was saying something by the state of some of the female members of Vocal Adrenaline. Not to mention the fact that she had kept a running commentary of the game so far under her breath, slowly driving Sebastian mad as she muttered about plays she didn't understand and the several kinds of bleach that would have to be used on the jerseys of some players after the game. He ended up gritting his teeth so loudly he could have sworn he heard the clacking in his _brain_, and she eventually wrung her hands together quickly and darted away to the curly haired man from before when the game paused for a second, giving him a moment of peace.

The peace didn't last long.

If anyone were to ask Sebastian, years later, what the most absurd moment of his entire life was, he is sure that this would top the list. A dancing football team is one thing; dancing to 'Single Ladies' is another thing entirely. He was frozen in shock for the first couple of seconds, before it gave in to hilarity, his laughter mixing with others' as he watched the dance. As a tactic, it worked; the other team looked as if they weren't sure what to think, and if Sebastian was totally honest, he didn't know either. It was only when he caught the smirk on Kurt's face, hardly noticeable from the angle Sebastian was sitting, that he realized that this was definitely his friend's influence; only he could have come up with something this bizarre. He shook his head and clapped his hands, the game restarting as he wordlessly saluted Kurt from the stands.

The returning smile was brilliant.

After the game, and a kick that Sebastian could barely believe, Kurt comes up to him, still grinning and having managed to escape his Dad's hug for a couple of minutes. When he speaks he is breathless, giddy from his victory.

'You came! I sort of thought you might not- a ton of people turned up early and-'

'And miss all of this? Definitely not.' Kurt grinned wider, his hands clenching and unclenching as he bounced on the spot, excitement building behind his eyes as he looked around him.

'Did you see my kick? I can't believe we won!' Sebastian nods and returns his smile, looking around the crowds too as Kurt babbles on about nervousness and the rest of the team. Everyone from McKinley is smiling, happy, and Sebastian now knows why Kurt is so elated. For the first time he is the center of attention in a _good_ way; drawing focus because of something he is good at, that the rest of the school finds acceptable, anyway. He knew he should be annoyed that Kurt had to team up with his bullies in a way to earn some kind of acceptance in his own school, but a little part of him wanted to enjoy Kurt's happiness for the meantime, bask in the idea that things might truly be looking up for him. He gave Kurt a hug and watched him walk back to his Dad (who, surprisingly wasn't any of the men Sebastian had considered but rather the man in the baseball cap that he had seen for a second earlier), turning to wave back at Sebastian once before he left.

Sebastian strolled towards his car once he had left the field, crossing the parking lot with hordes of other people as they raced to get home from the game and celebrate, in some cases. Cars were lighting up as families climbed in, and children, presumably the younger brothers and sisters of the players, were already silently falling asleep on the shoulders of their parents. When he swung himself into the drivers' seat of his car he instantly reached for the radio and allowed the slow tune to soothe him before he started off. His worrying had been for nothing. Kurt was fine, the game had been fine, and even if it hadn't been, Kurt's Dad looked like the type who could protect his son. Sebastian still had worries of course, for the next day at school and the day after that and so on, but it was nice to let himself believe that things would be easier for Kurt from now on. If the football team here was anything like the team at Carmel, then he should rise in popularity, at least enough to stop the near constant slushies and dumpster tosses. Still, that depended on Kurt staying on the team, and from what Sebastian could tell, he wasn't particularly fond of the idea. He hummed to the radio as he drove, allowing the melody to calm him further and fighting a yawn.

He pulled into his drive just as the second song ended, this one slightly more upbeat but still slow, and cut the engine, rubbing the heels of his hands into his eyes to battle his exhaustion. He had been up for an obscenely long time the night before, stressing over his essay and eating a bar of chocolate the size of his head. The game this night had run late enough that he was feeling the effects of his tiredness, and he stumbled up the stairs to his room the second he got into the house. His parents weren't in; they had decided upon a last minute trip to Bali two days before, and the house felt cold and empty. Still, his room felt as comfortable as ever, and he allowed himself to flop on to the bed, still in his jeans, sweater and coat, his scarf tossed carelessly over the back of a wooden rocking-chair resting in the corner of the room. He falls asleep almost instantly, his shoes dangling slightly over the end of the bed.

xxx

When he woke up it was still dark, moonlight trickling through his curtains and across the wood floor. It couldn't have been more than about two in the morning, and he ran a hand across his face, wondering what had woken him up. He toed off his shoes fully, hearing the clunk as they fell to the ground, and reached blindly for his phone, intending to check the time. The screen lit up in a second, and he squinted up at it, noticing that he had several new texts. He screwed his eyes up and yawned, still half asleep and trying to fight the headache that looking at the display of his phone had brought on, and opened the first message, nearly dropping his phone on his face as he did so.

**00:16am**

_I told my Dad._

It was just one line, black text against blinding white, but it was enough to make Sebastian's throat clench and his eyes to wake up fully. He held his breath and moved on to the next text, dreading what Kurt would say. The messages had been sent an hour earlier; if he drove now would Kurt still be there for him to pick up? Would he be asleep if he called him? The next message, however, was enough for Sebastian to relax into his pillows.

**00.17am**

_He was weirdly okay with it; I don't know what I was so worried about in the first place._

That, Sebastian could deal with.

**00:28am**

_Are you asleep? _

**00:47am**

_I'm going to take that as a yes._

**00:54am**

_Sorry if I woke you up._

**01:07am**

_But I didn't, because then you'd reply.._

**01:12am**

_Goodnight, Sebastian._

Sebastian smiled sleepily up at his phone, drifting back off as he loosened his tie, still too tired to get up and change.

'Goodnight Kurt.'

When he woke up the next morning it took a minute for Sebastian to figure out what was going on. His shirt was taut, tangled up somehow as he had moved in the night, and his tie had swiveled around until it was bunched under his head, twisting his neck at an odd angle. It was at least daylight now, and his phone was beeping loudly from underneath him, buzzing against his back where he must have rolled on to it in the night. The alarm was blaring, having jolted him out of sleep, and words were flashing across the screen.

**GET UP YOU HAVE AN APPOINTMENT AT 8**

_Shit._

_xxx_

Kurt drove slowly along the roads towards the Lima Bean, cautious with his car after his Dad had decided to give it back as a test run. As long as none of his friends decided on a personal vendetta against his car, he would be okay, but he was still nervous about scratching it. When he eventually pulled into a space and pushed open the door of the coffee shop, inhaling the rich smell and smiling a little, he didn't notice Sebastian at first. He noticed a leather satchel resting against a table-leg, however, and the collar of a blue blazer peeking from underneath a gray coat. Sebastian had his head pillowed on his arms, a book resting, spine bent, on the table in front of him. Smile fading, Kurt wandered over carefully, pulling on the strap of his bag and wondering if his friend was asleep.

'Sebastian?' A grunt answered him, muffled by the boy's arms. 'Are you okay?'

There was a pause, in which Sebastian's arms tightened and he lifted his head, mouth twisted and eyes miserable.

'No.'

'What's up?' Kurt dropped his bag on to the floor and pulled out the chair opposite Sebastian, settling into it and running his eyes over the other boy, curious about what was the matter. Sebastian put on his best "pouting teenager" expression and crossed his arms across his chest, mumbling out an intelligible answer.

'I'm sorry?'

'Orthodontist.' And now the twist of his mouth made sense.

'What did they do?'

'Tightened them.' Sebastian pressed his hand against his mouth, leaning heavily on the table and attempting to brush it off as a casual movement. His eyes closed for a second and then opened, watching Kurt and waiting for him to say something.

'Does it hurt?' The answering nod was short, not wanting to dislodge his hand. Kurt offered a sympathetic smile and stood to walk to the counter, leaving Sebastian to delve in his bag for painkillers. As he waited for the barista to prepare the drinks, he noticed a tall muscular boy stride up to the table Sebastian was sitting at and say hello. Eyes narrowing, Kurt watched the teen smile widely at Sebastian and speak too quietly for anyone else to hear, all blond hair and tanned skin stretching over Sebastian's seated form. As Kurt watched, he leaned in close to Sebastian and spoke lowly, the words too quiet to make out. Sebastian looked unsure, eyes darting around but never quite resting anywhere, before smiling tightly and nodding. At this the other boy seemed satisfied and made to leave the shop just as two coffees were handed to Kurt, long gone by the time he sat down.

'Who was that?' Sebastian seemed lost, staring after the boy who had left, and Kurt ignored the stab of jealousy he felt. Snapping back to reality, Sebastian spoke quickly and quietly, trying to open his mouth as little as possible.

'Richard, a boy from Carmel. He's in Vocal Adrenaline- he's sort of- in charge.'

'He seems nice.'

'Mm.' Sebastian seemed dazed again, barely paying attention as Kurt set the paper cup in front of him. Looking down, Kurt quickly thought of a topic; _anything_ to get Sebastian's mind off of surfer dude and on to him. It was selfish, and petty; he knew that, but the last thing he wanted was to watch his friend go after someone else. He had been intending to talk to Sebastian about his talk with his Dad the night before, but judging from his faraway expression it wasn't the best idea.

'So… did you enjoy the game? I swear I saw you next to Miss Pillsbury, you poor thing-' He babbled on, Sebastian chuckling and nodding when required as he recapped the game and sipped his coffee and pushed surfer dude to the back of his mind, forgetting about him for the moment.

If only Sebastian could.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: OH MY GOD REAL PLOT DEVELOPMENT IN THIS CHAPTER WOW. Hopefully this is a little less filler-y than some of the others, I've been a bit paranoid that it's been getting boring. I won't be able to update for the next week and a bit, as I'm going on holiday, but hopefully this should keep you going til then? Maybe? Oh and Sebastian in this one. Again. Thanks for all your reviews and alerts, I love you all! Enjoy! **

"Come on, we're going out." Kurt's voice was forceful as he pulled at Sebastian's arm, standing from their usual table in the Lima Bean and brushing his books back into his bag.

"W-what?" Kurt had now begun to pack up Sebastian's work, slamming textbooks shut and dropping pens into zip pockets. Before Sebastian could question the other boy's abrupt decision to leave, Kurt had stood, lifting his friend's satchel onto his shoulder alongside his own and striding out of the coffee shop, expecting Sebastian to follow him.

When he eventually caught up Kurt was standing by his car, fiddling with his keys and adjusting the leather strap of his friend's bag. Sebastian gave him a long, confused look.

"What?"

"You just got up! What do you mean 'out' anyway- we _are _out-"

"I mean somewhere other than the Lima Bean- we always come here, we need to find something else to do." Kurt opened the car and threw the bags into the back, gesturing for Sebastian to climb in alongside him.

"What do you suggest, then?" The doors slammed shut and there was silence in the car for a second as Kurt thought. Sebastian bit his lip and stared around the parking lot. The frantic woman who always seemed to be meeting a deadline was running towards a blue car several meters away, and the group of private schoolboys were back again, climbing out of various cars and walking in unison into the small building.

Kurt was still silent, fingers tapping on the steering wheel as his eyes narrowed.

"Movie?" His fingers stopped and he shrugged slightly, his voice trailing off. Sebastian turned to him, eyebrows rising.

"You want to go see a movie?"

"Well, what do you want to do?" Kurt snapped, turning to face Sebastian quickly and then returning his gaze to the doors of the Lima Bean, absently watching the people inside through the windows.

"Well I want to get out of the Lima Bean parking lot- people are looking at us strangely."

Sighing, Kurt started up the engine, driving slowly away and pressing his lips together before speaking again.

"I just think we should do something different. Plus, you seem kind of- down." Sebastian blinked at Kurt, his neck clicking as he turned to face him.

"Down?"

"You know what I mean."

Sebastian did. Ever since his weird confrontation with Richard just over a week ago, he hadn't been able to concentrate fully on much else. The boy who had seemed so dim and overly friendly now shot glares at him when rehearsing, and was often caught whispering with several of the other boys in Vocal Adrenaline. Sebastian found himself watching his steps and keeping an eye on him at all times, the presence of Richard in the room a prickling cold felt on the back of his neck. He didn't think Richard was dangerous, not really, but the uneasiness Sebastian felt was near constant. The other boy seemed to be everywhere, ducking into his French classes to borrow books, leaning heavily against lockers in the corridor with other students Sebastian didn't know, and of course in rehearsal, snapping at anyone who informed him the lines were wrong and stomping across the stage when he didn't get his way.

He fought down the twisting in his stomach and tried to soften his jaw, offering a quick smile to Kurt and shaking his head.

"It's nothing, don't worry about it." Kurt rolled his eyes but didn't push the matter, instead taking a left and driving towards the small movie theatre Sebastian had been to a couple of times. He changed the subject abruptly, quizzing Kurt on what was showing and what was the best, and slowly drawing the conversation away from his recent change in mood.

When they pulled up outside, Kurt was quick to hop out of the car and run over and check what was playing next; some comedy movie about zombies that they had seen trailers for. Sebastian trailed behind, following Kurt to the ticket stand and digging through his satchel for his wallet, knocking books and stray pencils out of the way absently as he searched. He was surprised to notice, when they pushed through the double doors into the small screen, that they were the only two in there, but then realized that immediately after school on a Tuesday afternoon was hardly the time for most to go to the movies. Still, the space was nice, and he made himself comfortable in his seat, propping his long legs up on the empty seat in front. Kurt crossed his legs when he sat, his knee bumping Sebastian's, and shrugged his coat off, draping it over the arm rather than throwing it unceremoniously down to the sticky floor, as Sebastian had done. They kept up easy conversation, wondering where anyone else was and judging the music played softly through the speakers above (and Sebastian had to agree- the Backstreet Boys, _really?_). Kurt's presence was beginning to soften the tension in his shoulders that had been present for the last week, and Sebastian let his softly spoken comments soothe him as he leaned back in his seat. The movies had been a good idea, after all. He didn't feel the need to look put together, not in the dim light of the theatre, and he could let himself relax fully. Kurt seemed to notice the change in Sebastian's tone when he whispered back, still unwilling to break the quiet in the room despite the fact that they were there alone, and beamed widely over at his friend, nodding once before turning to the screen to watch the trailers. Sebastian let his eyes trail over Kurt's face for a second, noticing the way his eyes travelled across the screen, illuminated by the glow of it rather than the dim lighting.

Sebastian turned his attention to the screen also, hands twitching as he tried not to focus on the soft heat of Kurt's knee pressing against his thigh. Kurt had settled in fully now, knees slipping wider and his head tilted back against the seat as he blindly reached for the bottle of water he had bought outside. Gulping, Sebastian cleared his throat slightly and rested his elbow on the rest between them, glaring at the screen in front of him as he kept his leg as still as possible. Kurt wasn't trying anything, merely sitting comfortably, but Sebastian found it more and more difficult to concentrate on whatever trailer was playing when he had the constant reminder of just how close Kurt was. Something about the almost nonexistent light within the movie theatre and the emptiness of the seats around them seemed to heighten Sebastian's awareness of the boy next to him, and he fought the urge to grasp Kurt's hand in his own.

He wasn't blind, of course, he had noticed the subtle shifts in their friendship. Kurt had been shy at first, blushing when Sebastian smiled and darting his eyes anywhere to avoid prolonged eye contact, but the last couple of weeks had strengthened their friendship; easy quips traded between them over coffee with ease, and Sebastian was used to the short texts he received throughout the day from his friend. Still, sometimes Sebastian caught himself trying not to meet Kurt's eyes for too long, afraid that he would lose his train of thought.

The movie started, the voiceover of the lead booming from speakers around them, and Sebastian relaxed even further, stretching his arms out in front of him and being careful not to jostle his leg, cautious of Kurt noticing their closeness and pulling away from him. The film passed agonizingly slowly, Kurt chuckling quietly at some parts and slowly sipping his drink every now and then. Sebastian didn't pay much notice, instead focusing on the thoughts whirling around inside his head. The shivers running through him whenever Kurt shifted and he pressed further into Sebastian's leg, drawing back only slightly as he got comfortable again. By the time the movie was drawing to an end and several of the characters were running around a theme park with zombies, Sebastian had decided he was being stupid and had thought about shifting to the next seat to escape the strange buzzing that seemed to fill his head with Kurt so close. He thought better of it, however, and instead pressed his thigh firmly sideways, noticing Kurt's head duck down and his mouth quirk into a smile as he kept his knee still and pressed back.

They were being ridiculous, acting like a pair of pre-teen girls afraid of feelings and cooties, Sebastian decided. The weeks before had been an easy friendship, dancing around each other at times but understanding each other, close in a way that Sebastian had never been before with anyone else. The atmosphere between them now was thick with whatever they were both feeling, both of them struggling to contain smiles as they kept up what little physical contact they had in the dark comfort of the empty theatre. The tension was interrupted when the lights brightened again, credits rolling as they smiled at each other and stood, stretching before making their way in comfortable silence back to the car. Sebastian had convinced Kurt to drive him to the Lima Bean previously, so he jumped into the car instantly, knowing that Kurt knew where to drop him off. The other boy had driven him home multiple times after their long hours in the coffee shop, preferring to drive since the one time that Sebastian had driven Kurt had spent the majority of the drive clutching the seat and staring wide-eyed ahead at the road due to the speed Sebastian had been going.

Kurt drove much more carefully, wary of his car getting damaged again since the Mercedes incident, and Sebastian allowed himself to relax back into the passenger seat, the sky outside darkening as he watched other cars fly past his window. The lights made him sleepy when he was in cars at night, which his mother had always taken advantage of, driving him around as a child in order to get him to shut up for a while. Sitting in the Navigator, he fought the urge to close his eyelids and drool all over Kurt's probably designer seat covers. He only fully snapped to attention when they pulled up outside his house, Kurt turning to smile at him and drawing his hands back from the wheel. Sebastian yawned widely, returning the smile and bending to pick up his satchel from under his feet.

"Thanks for dragging me out tonight."

"No problem- I'm just glad you seem a little happier." Kurt smiled wider, meeting Sebastian's eyes with an emotion in them that wasn't entirely clear. Reaching for the door handle, Sebastian rested the strap of his bag on his shoulder, feeling the cold leather against his skin where his tee had slipped sideways. He opened the door a little and then slammed it shut, noticing the surprised look on Kurt's face. Before courage could fail him he leaned across the car and pressed his lips softly to Kurt's cheek, moving back quickly and avoiding his eyes as he turned to the door. He opened it again, eager to run into the house to escape the heat travelling up his neck. He was stopped by a firm hand on his arm, pulling him back into his seat and forcing him to swivel back.

Kurt's eyes were wide, his mouth fixed in a soft smile.

"I-"

"Sebastian-" They spoke at the same time, cutting off and looking away awkwardly. Breaking the silence that had fallen, Sebastian rubbed a hand over the back of his neck, inwardly cursing himself.

"I'll see you later." Kurt smiled quickly and Sebastian climbed out of the car, walking briskly to his front door and jamming his key into the lock too fast. His heart was pounding in his ears, embarrassment coursing through him as he replayed what he had just done. Screwing his eyes shut, he twisted the key and leaned heavily against the door, only to be pulled back from it and spun once more.

He saw blue eyes for a split second before soft lips met his.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: I am so very sorry about the delay in updates… Most chapters take a pretty short amount of time to just get written but this one would not co-operate. Seriously. I had nightmares about this sodding thing. So I apologise an insane amount, because I really wouldn't blame you if you've forgotten what's even going on at this point! If you're still reading, then I really hope you enjoy this chapter; I'm not too happy with the first part of it, but I think the rest might be okay?

Also another apology- for, um, the end. SHIT'S GOING DOWN GUYS. WHO'S EXCITED (don't kill me)

x

'Mr. Hummel, concentration would be nice!'

Kurt's head snapped up and away from his daydream, focusing once more on the work that stretched in spidery handwriting across the board. His math teacher was standing in front of it, arms crossed, and glaring across the room at him along with half of his classmates, who had turned to figure out why he was more interested in the rain sheeting down outside than the equations he was supposed to be sorting through. He shot a quick smile at the math teacher and ducked back down to focus, ignoring the loud tut that he heard her emit.

The kiss had not been perfect. It had been fast and firm, mouths crashing together so hard that Sebastian had momentarily rocked backwards, separating their mouths for a second as Kurt had to lean up further. Sebastian's hands had curled tentatively around Kurt's hips, pulling their bodies closer; chests flush together as he trapped Kurt's lower lip between his teeth.

Kurt shivered at the memory, chewing on his lip as he remembered the softness of the bite, the cool metal of the small braces contrasting with the heat of Sebastian's tongue as they had kissed, slowing as they leaned against each other under the flickering porch light.

Several days had passed since their odd date of sorts; Kurt was beginning to forget the taste of Sebastian's mouth, the weight of his body pressed against his. He still felt giddy remembering it; in fact, he had surprised several of his friends in Glee already by spontaneously bursting into giggles the day before, overcome with the idea that _yes,_ that had happened. He couldn't keep the smile off of his face, and found that even faced with the daily bullying that came with going to McKinley High, nothing could darken his mood. Even now, in his math class surrounded by students who he could tell were itching to throw spitballs at him and hiss slurs every time the teacher turned her back, he was reliving the several minutes he had spent on the porch with Sebastian.

Still, behind the giddiness of the knowledge that he had had his first kiss, and that it had been _perfect, _Kurt still felt nervousness bleeding through into his emotions. What did it all mean- was Sebastian his boyfriend now, or was the friends-with-kissing thing a _thing _now? The aftermath of the kiss had been slightly less than perfect; Kurt had been completely overcome, hands twisted into Sebastian's shirt and mouth still open in amazement. Sebastian had shot him an awkward smile and then untangled himself from the embrace, stepping back and running his fingers through his hair until it stuck up in all directions. After shuffling for a couple of seconds and avoiding each other's eyes, they had hastily said their goodbyes and left, both blushing crimson and fumbling for their respective keys. It had been cute, but not exactly enlightening for Kurt when it came to the current situation.

They had texted as normal, friendly texts about how bored they were or funny things they'd thought of, but there had been the new addition of several kisses at the end of each text. It had ended up as a ridiculous battle as they each added more; they were up to around nine by the time Sebastian finally cracked and went back to three.

The last text had come only minutes ago, but Kurt was reluctant to check it, wary of getting into trouble again. He waited several more minutes before pulling it out of his pocket, chancing it as the class ended and students started packing their things.

_Lima Bean after school? Want to see you xxx_

He tried to refrain from smiling like an idiot, sitting in a classroom alone staring at his phone, but failed miserably.

x

"Hey."

Kurt looked up, a smile breaking across his face before he even met Sebastian's eyes. The taller boy was smiling down at him, green eyes sparkling with humour as he slid into the seat opposite.

"What are you up to..?" Sebastian's grin grew devilish at this, stretching wider until he was beaming across the table at Kurt.

"We're escaping today." At this the brightness in his eyes dimmed and shifted to a kind of wary curiosity, as if wondering what Kurt's reaction would be. Kurt let out a heavy sigh and stared downwards at the table to compose his expression, unwilling to let Sebastian see the smile that was threatening to return.

"To where?" At this Sebastian winked, still grinning like an idiot and sipping some of Kurt's hot chocolate (he had decided to avoid too much caffeine for the day, having already chugged two cups of coffee before heading to school that morning). He winced a little at the taste of the vanilla syrup, and slid it back across the table to Kurt.

"You'll just have to find out, won't you?"

"If it's the movies again-"

"It's not the movies." For a second Sebastian's nervousness kicked in, his expression softening as he studied Kurt's face. "Drink up."

Kurt downed his drink quickly, ignoring the burn of the roof of his mouth and clambering to grasp the handle of his bag. Sebastian looked shocked at his sudden movement, but stood and waited, eager to get going.

Kurt followed Sebastian in his car, glad that they had managed to avoid the awkwardness he had been anticipating in their short conversation. He didn't know whether to bring up the kiss or not; was he supposed to pretend it hadn't happened? Act the same as usual? He wasn't exactly experienced in the kissing department, and barely knew how to bring up the topic, let alone start navigating the strange relationship between them. He settled for hoping that Sebastian would instead, deciding to act the same way as ever and wait to see how the next couple of hours would go.

When Sebastian eventually pulled up, Kurt's mouth dropped open in shock. He stared at the building in front of him, hands tightening on the wheel, and almost jumped out of his skin when Sebastian suddenly opened the door next to him.

"So what do you think? I mean, we don't have to go, I just thought it might be fun and-" He trailed off, gesturing behind him at the ice rink, and looking up at Kurt through his eyelashes, nervousness clouding his face. Kurt shook his head, clearing his surprise from his expression, and smiled at Sebastian, climbing down out of his car.

"Let's go."

x

They had tripped and skidded and slipped for hours, hanging onto each other desperately as they tried not to crash to the floor. Sebastian had fallen over quite spectacularly several times, arms and legs flailing as he fell onto freezing ice again and again. Kurt had managed to be only a fraction more graceful, sliding nearly into the splits once or twice before dragging himself up with the help of the wall at the edge. Ice skating, it seemed, was hardly their forte, but they didn't particularly care. They left the rink laughing and shivering, shins aching from the press of the boots, and lingered at the door of Kurt's car, figuring it was silly for Sebastian to drive out to Lima and then all the way back home. Here, standing a foot apart next to the Navigator, came the awkwardness that Kurt had been anticipating. Sebastian shuffled his feet and coughed quietly, cheeks burning in the cold air. Kurt was still flushed from the skating, stretching his ankles to lessen the ache and staring down so that he didn't have to meet Sebastian's eyes.

"So… this was- fun?" Sebastian sounded unsure, perhaps anxious that Kurt's laughter and smiles for the last hour or so had all been an elaborate lie. He cringed at his own question seconds after he spoke, causing Kurt to laugh once more, breaking the odd tension between them.

"Yeah, this was fun." He smiled broadly up at Sebastian, slumping against the door, which only served to emphasize the difference in height further. Sebastian's eyes darkened at this, and he leaned in until there were merely inches between them.

_Kiss me kiss me kiss me kiss me-_

He did.

It was heaven once more, and Kurt found himself relaxing further into the cold door of the car as he responded, hands coming up once more to tangle in Sebastian's hair. They broke apart too soon, panting into the space between them.

"Can I see you Saturday?" Sebastian's voice was rough, quiet. Kurt bit his lip to contain his grin and nodded once, rocking forward onto his toes in excitement.

"Sure."

x

When Kurt eventually made his way through the large door of the Lima Bean that Saturday, he had to resist the urge to run in. His heart beat faster anyway, anticipation flooding him as he looked around for Sebastian. He rocked on his heels for a second, casting a glance around the coffee shop before realizing that he was the first to arrive. He almost skipped up to the counter, staring aimlessly at the muffins and cookies on display whilst humming softly under his breath, and smiled at the barista when she turned to him.

"Same as usual?" She sounded cheerful, smiling brightly back at him and moving to prepare his drink almost immediately. He was shocked for a second; clearly they needed to leave the coffee shop at some point- the fact that the people working there now remembered his coffee order exactly was probably a sign that he had some form of caffeine addiction. Or Sebastian addiction, come to think of it, as he had spent the majority of his time in the Lima Bean talking to his friend-boyfriend-_something_ rather than actually drinking coffee. He waited for his drink to be made, casting his eyes around the room every now and then to check if Sebastian had arrived yet. He hadn't, even when Kurt's drink was fully made and he had settled himself into their favourite table, not too close to the door, but not too far from the window. He hadn't arrived even when Kurt pulled out his phone to play games on, fighting the awkwardness of sitting at a table alone and wishing he had thought to throw a book into his bag before he had left that morning.

An hour passed.

He hadn't arrived.

Two hours passed.

Kurt's drink had grown cold at this point, and he had sent several texts to Sebastian, wondering what was holding him up. He had received no reply, and now worry was beginning to bleed through him, his hands shaking as he checked his phone for the thousandth time.

Where was he? He had had Glee practice after school, and it wasn't unusual for him to be held back several hours; Vocal Adrenaline had a ridiculous training regime- all it would have taken was for Sebastian to have missed one step and it would be enough for him to have extra rehearsal every day that week. This had happened once before, but Sebastian had texted Kurt quickly, warning him that he would be late and easing the stress of his friend. This time Kurt had received nothing, not even a single word to indicate that Dakota Stanley had cracked down on him, or that practice had run late.

"Kurt? I'm really sorry, but we're closing in a little while, so, um…" The barista from before- Sophie, he remembered- was bent over his table, eyes kind, one hand resting on its cool surface.

"I'm sorry, it's just- my friend- he's never usually late." He knew it was silly; if Sebastian wasn't here now, he was definitely not going to turn up later, but he couldn't quite bring himself to leave. It was the first time Sebastian had missed one of their coffee dates without calling or texting with a reason first. And even then he had always cancelled the day before; a forgotten birthday or a last minute practice. This time seemed more significant somehow; perhaps because it was in the aftermath of the kiss. Maybe Sebastian had decided that Kurt wasn't what he wanted, maybe he was 'afraid of commitment' or whatever ridiculous idea Rachel was using lately to justify the fact that Finn simply wasn't interested in her. But if that was true, did this mean the end of their friendship? After months of telling each other everything, laughing about everything, confessing to Sebastian, _leaning _on him, if he was to be honest, was this the way that Sebastian chose to break their friendship?

"I'm sure he's just been held up or something; maybe give him a call?" Sophie attempted to console him, looking worried herself seeing anger flash across his face. Her blonde ponytail bobbed as she nodded encouragingly. Kurt suddenly realized the amount of time he and Sebastian spent in there; were the staff really that invested in their friendship- relationship- thing? He wondered if all the times they had been speaking quietly, laughing to each other, Sophie, or the other girl who always greeted them so cheerfully, had been propped on the counter, watching them with smiles on their faces.

"I have called. It doesn't matter; it's not your problem. I'll get out of here so you guys can get home." He smiled tightly at her, too worried to put any real effort into the gesture, and she gave a sympathetic smile back, hand swooping to clasp the cold cup in front of him and stack it onto the tray on the table behind. He closed the game on his phone- the battery was nearly dead anyway- and picked up his bag, throwing it onto his shoulder but keeping his phone at hand, nervous about missing a call from Sebastian to explain.

It didn't ring when he walked to the car, nor did it ring when he placed it on the passenger seat next to him as he navigated the roads of Lima. When Kurt got home he tried Sebastian's number several more times, fighting a weird collection of emotions including anger, sadness and worry as he dialed. Sebastian didn't pick up- of _course _ he didn't pick up, and Kurt severely hoped that this was all some kind of joke, or that Sebastian's battery had died and he'd forgotten about their arranged meeting. He kept his phone in his pocket for the rest of the evening, frantically checking it when he felt it buzz with a new text. His Dad glared at him across the table multiple times as he tried to subtly glance at it under the table during dinner, but he was blind to his father's annoyance, too concerned about Sebastian to care.

He eventually gave up hope of hearing from the other boy, and sent off a snappy 'goodnight' text before he went to bed. Once curled up he tried to force down the uneasiness he felt. It had been eight hours now since he had heard from Sebastian, and he was sure that even a dead battery wouldn't put off contact for this long. He tossed and turned, unable to relax and sleep. The anger had ebbed away, leaving only a rising panic as he wondered what could have happened to delay Sebastian so much., and where the other boy could possibly be.

x

Green eyes clouded over with pain, screwing shut to block out the brightness of street lamps high above. Long fingers curled into fists and pressed down against the sidewalk, sending streaks of pain through his forearms. And blood.

Blood everywhere.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: I'm sorry for the cliffie last chapter, and I'm also sorry about not resolving it in this one… oops!**

**But you guys can hang on a little longer, right? Right?**

**P.S. Just to absolutely clarify in case anyone's worried, I am a horrible person when it comes to how much I like character death in most fics, but not in this one. You can relax a little; I love these guys too much to kill either of them off. Thanks for all of the wonderful reviews, they really make my day! Hope you enjoy this part :)**

It had been three weeks.

Three long weeks since Kurt had sat in the Lima Bean, alone and waiting for Sebastian. He had heard nothing about the boy, received no further texts, not even seen him in the Lima Bean at the usual time (not that he would ever admit to casual stalking). Sebastian, it seemed, had vanished, and Kurt didn't have the slightest idea of where or how to find him. Kurt had been anxious at first, mind racing with scenarios in which Sebastian was in some form of trouble, but his worry had morphed into anger several days ago, overcome with the idea that Sebastian had decided once and for all that Kurt wasn't important, and had therefore simply abandoned him, not caring about the feelings of his friend.

He briefly considered tracking down students of Carmel that knew Sebastian, asking them where he could possibly be, but it dawned on him quite quickly that Sebastian had never mentioned other students except in passing, or if he was particularly insulting members of Vocal Adrenaline. Kurt didn't know if Sebastian had friends other than him; and if he did he wasn't close to them. The teachers at the school would probably know, but it would take someone braver than Kurt to take the step to ask them.

There was a more dismal thought in Kurt's mind as he searched for his friend that held him back. What if Sebastian had truly decided that Kurt wasn't enough? Maybe he knew Kurt was looking for him and avoided him anyway, darting around Ohio away from him. This, above all, was why Kurt held back from asking others about Sebastian's whereabouts- he didn't want to hear that actually, nothing had changed, except for Sebastian's feelings towards Kurt.

The pain that this idea brought upon Kurt was unbearable. He found himself floating through life, Glee club rehearsals flying by as he wandered the corridors of McKinley lost in thought. Sebastian had impacted Kurt's life in ways that only truly became clear now that he had abandoned Kurt. He found himself wishing he had someone to text surreptitiously on his knee when Brittany said something especially stupid, or someone to rant to after school when he had been dumpster diving more than twice that day. He somehow felt weaker, more vulnerable than he had before, feeling the loss of Sebastian's friendship as a loss of armour, of an ally; someone who had his back.

Now, Kurt was alone again.

"Move, fairy!" he heard the words before he felt the pain, his back slamming against the cold metal of the lockers before he had time to think. His books fell to the floor loudly, attracting the attention of several other students in the hallway, none of them moving forward to help for fear of an attack on themselves. Kurt looked to see two burly members of the football team striding away, other students parting as they glared menacingly at the 'losers' around them. He leaned back against the locker, books blurring in front of him as he fought back the tears rising in his eyes. He refused to cry. Blinking, he bent to collect his belongings and stuff them into his bag, straightening and walking quickly down the hallway, avoiding the gaze of some of the students who hadn't awkwardly looked away.

He made his way to Glee practice quietly, head ducked down and bag pushed back onto his shoulder.

"-And frankly, Mr Shue, I am _appalled_ that you would even suggest-"

Rachel was on top form, mouth working furiously as she directed her death glare across the choir room. Most of the other members looked a mixture between fear and boredom, meaning that Kurt remained mostly unnoticed as he made his way across the room and settled into a plastic chair near Mercedes. She flashed a quick smile at him before turning to glower at the back of Rachel's head, hands clenching as she then spoke up.

"Look, Rachel, no one really cares about the picture except you, so why don't you just-" At this the other girl looked horrified, standing to full height (which wasn't particularly impressive despite the fact that she had small heels on) and turning to stare at Mercedes, eyebrows raised and mouth dropped.

"No one- well you should care! Don't you want to look back on this time? To- to remember the time we spent in this school, in this club? Maybe _some_ of us won't achieve much, but others are destined for great things and we should take advantage of-"

"Rachel, why don't you just take a seat, okay? I'm still working on the picture issue, I'm sure I can work something out." Mr Schuester's voice was firm, booming across the choir room as he attempted to break up the impending fight. The two girls stood down almost instantly, crossing their arms at the same time in a way which would have been funny if not for the tension heavy in the air. Mr Shuester carried on throwing around ideas for sectionals, most of the club zoning out as he tried to remember songs that would work for their voices that were 'timeless'.

Kurt turned fully to Mercedes at this, mouthing _what's going on _to her and trying not to attract Rachel's attention. She leaned forwards and whispered to him, eyes flicking every now and then to the girl in front.

"Glee club photo's been cut to half a page and no one cares but _her._Still, now Mr Shue's on a mission and it looks like we might all end up in it."

"Glee club photo for what?"

"The Thunderclap, Kurt, do you not remember?" She sounded exasperated, eyes going wide as she waited for him to recall, her voice still soft and low.

"Oh, yeah."

He did remember vaguely Rachel complaining about something and Santana being vocal about the photo earlier in the week, everyone embarrassed and nervous about the idea of their picture being defaced, but had disregarded the issue for the moment, uninterested in the situation. He didn't really care if he was in the picture or not. Obviously there was the threat of being defaced in it, but in comparison to the shoves, the taunts, _everything_, some devil horns drawn on a tiny image of his face wasn't his biggest fear. While the usual noise of Glee club buzzed in the background, he considered his options. The anger he felt when thinking about Sebastian was too much; he wanted answers, and he wanted them as quickly as possible. Sebastian must have had at least one friend at Carmel- someone he confided in. And even if he didn't, surely he would still be involved in Vocal Adrenaline rehearsals? Going to Carmel was risky; this close to competition both clubs were wary of others trying to steal information or leak tips to others. But his friends came first, and it looked like Kurt was going to have to summon the courage he had and confront Sebastian, finally find him and demand reasons for his sudden disappearance.

* * *

Carmel High school was just as imposing as before, just as daunting to walk towards as it had been the last time Kurt was here. During his friendship with Sebastian, they had mostly met out of school, or Sebastian had shown up in the McKinley parking lot, so it wasn't often that Kurt had had to approach the place. Now, though, he was desperate.

He stood awkwardly for several seconds, unsure where to go or who to talk to first, but eventually decided that this best bet would be to follow the path his glee club had taken some time before, shifting around the building until he saw the small stage door facing him.

"Come on, Kurt, it's just a door..." He muttered to himself, anxiety flooding him as he attempted to compose himself, ready for answers about what had happened. He pushed through it, taking a long inside the room and looking around for any members of Vocal Adrenaline who would be able to help him.

"Hello?" The performers stopped almost instantly, and Kurt heard someone near the back of the stage whisper hurriedly about a spy in the room. He rolled his eyes and took another step, determined not to look scared in front of the large group in front of him.

"Is Seb- um- is Sebastian here?" There went his plan of being nonchalant- as soon as he had uttered the first syllable of his friend's name, confusion had spread through the group and an angry scowl had taken over the face of one of the boys. Kurt had faltered instantly, recognizing the boy's face but not remembering the name. He tried again.

"I just- I haven't seen him in a while, and-" Kurt was cut off swiftly, his words sounding feeble in the echoes of the auditorium.

"He's not here." The boy's voice was flat, blunt, devoid of emotion. Kurt's mouth dropped open and he tried to remember where he had seen the boy before. Hadn't he been Sebastian's friend? Was it Ryan? Rory? Ray?

"What?"

"He doesn't go to this school anymore- didn't he tell you?" Kurt shook his head slowly, eyes never leaving the irritated expression on the other boy's face.

"Why?"

"I don't know. Now if you don't mind, we're actually trying to rehearse so you need to go." The case was apparently closed. Other members of the club had shrunk back from the boy in front, darting glances at Kurt which ranged from bored to furious. One boy at the back looked like he wanted to say something, flicking back curly hair and pressing his lips together. Kurt caught his eye, desperate for answers.

"Well, does anyone know where he-"

"No. Go."

_Richard. _The boy in the Lima Bean. Kurt stepped back a little from the heat of the other boy's anger and looked around the group again, focusing once more on the curly haired boy at the back again before snapping his gaze back to Richard.

"I'm sorry for bothering you."

With this he turned and pushed through the door, taking in great lungfuls of air as it slammed shut behind him. The people on the stage, lit by huge fluorescent lights, had looked terrifying, a show of solidarity against Kurt's lone form. They knew. They _must_; someone didn't just leave schools like that.

But why were they hiding it? Sebastian hadn't been a major part of their club; he wouldn't be important to a performance, wouldn't have had any close friends to inform. Perhaps Sebastian had just disappeared, neglecting to tell anyone where he was going.

Kurt shivered. No. He hadn't. There was something lingering in the air still, a fear that had plunged through him as Richard had stepped forward in the auditorium. If something had happened (and Kurt couldn't stop the quiver of his lip as he thought of what that something could be), then he knew about it. He jogged quickly to his car, fumbling in his pocket for keys and breathing heavily still, dizziness overcoming him as his breath morphed into what sounded like quiet sobs.

A hand caught his arm before he could manage to open the door of the car, spinning him and pushing him to sit against the wheel, the ground cold under him.

"Hey, breathe, I think you're hyperventilating or something."

It was the boy from before; the one who had looked worried in the auditorium. He flicked his curly hair back again, apparently a nervous habit, and kept his hands on Kurt's shoulders, an attempt to ground him.

"I'm sorry- I just, it's- I can't-" He couldn't make the words come, body still screaming for oxygen as his head reeled.

"Shh, okay? It's okay, just breathe deep." After a minute, Kurt calmed enough to speak a whole sentence, his voice low and hoarse as he fought back tears for the second time that day.

"I don't even know why I'm so upset. He's probably fine. I'm just worried, that's all." The boy shifted uncomfortably, sitting on his heels opposite Kurt and avoiding his eyes.

"What if he's not?" At this Kurt's chin lifted. He stared at the other boy, begging with his eyes for him to carry on.

"What?"

"I just- look, I don't know anything, and I swear I don't, but things have been weird around here for the last couple of weeks, and it's all a little suspicious." He was earnest, his voice dropping to a whisper as he glanced around.

"What do you mean, _suspicious_?"

"I don't know! It's- Sebastian's gone, and we were never- friends, but still, I noticed. And I know it sounds crazy, but it's like I have this sixth sense about these sorts of things- except not in the ghost way- and I'm _sure _that it has something to do with Rich."

"You got that too, huh?"

"I think everyone gets it, they're just afraid. I guess what I'm trying to say is- I can try and help you find him, if you want?" He cocked his head to the side, eyebrows rising as he asked the question. Kurt's eyes narrowed slightly as he thought.

"If you're not his friend, why do you care? What's in this for you?"

"Well if I manage to solve mysteries in high school it's great practice for my inevitable yet short career on CSI before I move on to bigger and better things, and if it does turn out that Richard is involved in some kind of shady situation, then the position for the lead performer of Vocal Adrenaline is wide open. I get my spotlight, my stage, and I get to do something good for someone else. I figure whether karma exists or not, it can't hurt, right?"

Kurt was dazed for a second. The boy talked more than anyone he had ever met. Well, apart from one person.

"Have you ever met Rachel Berry?"

"The lead of the New Directions? I hear she's good, but she has a lot to improve on. Why?"

"No reason. I'm Kurt, by the way."

"Jesse. And I think you better get in your car now before rehearsal finishes and you get hung from the school statue by your pants."

"Right." He smiled once at Jesse and clambered into his car, mind still racing with fear and worry, but feeling slightly better that he had an ally. The question still remained though, and Kurt didn't know how long it would take to answer it.

_Where are you, Sebastian?_

* * *

His hands clenched at white sheets, the dreamlike memory of curling them against his face for protection quiet in his mind. He could hear a beeping in the background, slow, steady. White light seeped through his eyelids, causing him to frown, pinpricks of pain racing through his forehead and nose as he did. He could hear the faint voice of his mother; her voice tear filled as she babbled at him, but couldn't understand what she was saying. He searched his memory for something that was nagging at him; something he had forgotten.

_Kurt._


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: I'll try to be quicker with the updates; as I'm at home from uni I don't get the chance to write as often. When I go back I'll have more time and hopefully will get back to updating around once a week like a normal person because the wait between chapters is irritating even for me. Put up with me for a little longer guys! Also I need to plan properly how many chapters this is going to have, but as they're quite short it might get long… maybe 25ish? I need to finish off this story arc and then crash into the next one. Also no Seb in this chapter *cries* Reviews would be lovely!

* * *

The carpet was a dirty cream, the walls a similar colour. There was dirt trodden into it, and stains a shade of rust that Kurt didn't want to think about. As he focused he realized that he was in a hallway, long and stretching; the walls bare and stark. He didn't have shoes on, not even socks, and his toes squished uncomfortably into the filthy carpet. He looked around, taking in the limited space, and noticed with a start the boy standing at the other end, perhaps thirty feet away.

Sebastian was at the end of the hallway, face unmoving as he regarded Kurt walking towards him. He was pale, bloodless, and Kurt's heart dropped instantly when he looked properly. Sebastian had a sickly sheen about him, a smattering of blood stews across his collar. Aside from the slight ever present spark in his eyes that Kurt had missed these past few weeks, he almost looked dead. Kurt reached for him, his hands out and searching before he could consciously think to do otherwise, his feet staggering forwards a foot towards the other boy. At this Sebastian's expression morphed into one of pain, features twisting as some unknown force rocked his entire form backwards. Kurt took several more steps, desperate to reach his friend, but his feet kept sticking, his boots pulling as if glued to the floor. He was sinking, sliding, unable to take any more steps as the ground appeared to suck him down, unwilling to let him reach his destination. His head was swirling, reeling as he stared into the green eyes so far away from him, desperate for any clue as to how to reach him.  
'SEB!'

He bolted upright in bed, blue eyes scanning the dark room for the light of his clock. The numbers blinked back at him- far too early for him to be awake- and he settled back down, hands shaking.

The dream had been so real, Sebastian's pain so close, that he felt like he could hear his shout echoing through the night. More time had passed since Sebastian had vanished; more sleepless nights and loss of concentration in classes. Kurt had been searching as much as he could, even contemplating breaking into school records to figure out where Sebastian had gone, but there was still no sign of him.  
Jesse had been helpful, and more of a friend to Kurt than he could have expected. The other boy wound him up often enough, but Glee meetings with Rachel had long ago taught him patience, and Kurt could now wait in silence until Jesse got past his self-obsession and got to talking about real information.

"-so Sebastian said he would give you information about VA in secret? It's pretty bad in their eyes but I don't think even Carmel can wipe somebody off the map for spying. They're extreme, but not to that point."  
"I know, but those guys are completely crazy- even Rachel doesn't take show choir this seriously."

"She should, show choir is extremely serious."

"...Yeah. Anyway, do you think maybe they.. Got rid of him?"

"You mean like murder? We have to find out! I can see the headlines now- 'St. James uncovers murder plot- hailed as Ohio's hero and male lead soloist in world renowned vocal group!' I'll be famous; you can't buy that kind of publicity."  
"No. Just- just no. And they didn't kill him, don't be so dramatic. I mean like got him expelled or something."

"Yeah they would totally do that. But that doesn't explain him not saying goodbye to his boyfriend-" At this Jesse stopped and looked at Kurt for a second, "Or whatever you two were." Kurt ignored his prying look and thought harder.

"True. But I don't want to make the leap to murder here- it's high school, not the mafia."  
"The Smythes were a pretty connected family, it could be the mafia." Jesse paused, thinking, before he burst excitedly- "Oh my God, it's the mafia! They killed him and you'll get his thumb sent to you in the mail."

"Jesse, just do me a favour and shut up."

"Fine. But it could be the mafia."

"I'm pretty sure Sebastian's relatives are Irish."

"...Do Ireland have a mafia?"

But as much as Jesse hindered Kurt's attempts to figure out the truth, he was a good friend, and coffee with him was often the only time Kurt laughed, even if it was for a different reason than Jesse thought. That was, until Jesse met Rachel.  
"Why didn't you tell me about your friend Rachel?"

"I... Didn't think it was important?"

"Well it was. Is. What's she like?"

"Short, loud-"

"No, not things I already know. What's she LIKE?"

"Um, nice, I guess? Why?"

"I met her. I knew she was talented, sure, but you could have told me she looked like that."  
"Like what?"

"Like- Oh, forget it. I need straight friends."

"You'd miss me."

"No, Kurt, you'd miss me."

Jesse and Rachel plunged themselves into a relationship faster than Kurt could blink. He had a sneaking suspicion that it was something to do with Finn, but he wasn't going to question it. He was going to suffer through it. Painfully.  
"We had an idea." Jesse slid onto the bench next to Kurt, the park quiet and near empty at this time. Rachel sat next to him, a large pair of sunglasses concealing her brown eyes. She leaned over, her voice a low whisper, and glanced around the park as she spoke conspiratorially to Kurt.

"Technically I had the idea but Jesse helped." Jesse nodded enthusiastically, shooting Rachel a dark look before hurrying to continue before she could explain further.

"_Our_ idea is genius." Kurt decided to humour them.

"Okay, genius, go on."

"We break into Carmel."

"What."  
"We break in! Can't you see, Kurt, it's a great idea! The school will have records, transcripts, anything- it'll tell us where he is!"

"We could get arrested!" Jesse raised his hand, pointing at Kurt and raising an eyebrow.  
"Not if we're in disguise." Rachel nodded as he spoke, clearly invested in the 'plan' and also insane.

"Oh my God."

"I have a plan, okay? And this is our best chance- we'll have real evidence, a real lead!"  
Kurt thought about it for a moment. The idea was tempting; if they managed to get hold of records of Sebastian they'd be able to track him down, finally get answers. However the threat of being charged with breaking and entering wasn't exactly thrilling. He made a snap decision, his reeling emotions winning over his logic.  
"Let's do it. Tonight."

"Whoa, whoa- not tonight." Jesse looked shocked at the suggestion, panic in his eyes.  
"Why not?"

"I need to plan."

***  
The next day Kurt received a text from Jesse early in the morning.  
_The park 4:30. Operation BICASSRIASLW is go._

Sighing, he turned his phone over on his nightstand, willing it to shut up while he squeezed in an hour or so more of sleep.

When he eventually woke up and made his way to school he remembered the text and checked it, stopping in the hallway to read it again. He closed his eyes in exasperation as he stared at the series of letters, trying to make sense of what Jesse had decided to call their little mission. Giving up, he looked away, accidentally catching Rachel's eye further down the corridor. She gave him a meaningful nod, her eyes intense and her hand holding the locker door open to hide the movement. She gave a quick tiny salute and slammed her locker shut, striding away down the corridor before he could judge her fully.

Suddenly an arm linked through his, and the smell of perfume filled the air. Mercedes had found him, and was staring after Rachel in the same direction as Kurt.

"Something's up with Rachel," Mercedes said "She's been acting weird all day. Any ideas on what's going on this time?"

"Mercedes, I can honestly say I have no idea."

***  
The park was busy this time; children were playing around the bench where the unlikely trio had been sat the day before, and parents with babies were sat around in groups. There were about ten teenagers, disheveled and smoking, standing over the other side of the park huddled under some trees. Jesse and Rachel had settled at a wooden table, paper in front of them and their heads bowed in concentration. Jesse had a large backpack with him, bulging at the top, which he tucked under the table when he saw Kurt approaching.

"Ready for our mission?" He was strangely intense, brown eyes boring into Kurt's own as he approached the pair. Kurt was slightly afraid to reply to the question.

"I guess? What's the plan?"

"Sit down and listen closely."

He sat opposite Rachel without a word. The paper, Kurt could now see, was a series of bullet points, instructions for the evening ahead.

"Okay, so I did some digging. The school is empty of students by five thirty, and the janitor leaves at nine thirty. There's then a security guard who checks the school at night. He comes at ten thirty, and then locks the whole place from the outside. That leaves us sixty minutes to get in, get the file and get out."

"Jesse, you do realise that we aren't actually spies, right?"

"Shut up Kurt, Jesse is speaking."

***  
"This is absolutely ridiculous." Kurt toyed with the edge of his outfit, the soft grey of the coveralls looking even darker in the limited light.

_"Shush, Kurt, we need to be quiet." _Rachel whispered furiously, crouched next to him with smears of eyeliner on her cheekbones. For 'stealth'. He shook his head and turned away from her, playing with his disguise again and noticing something, his fingers catching on raw material.

"This isn't even hemmed."

_"You didn't leave me a lot of time, okay, you can't judge my stitching skills." _This time it was Jesse who answered from his space on the floor next to Rachel, his quiet murmur audibly different from hers.

"I take it back, this isn't ridiculous, **you** are ridiculous."

"_Stop saying ridiculous. We need to focus_," Rachel, wearing her own badly fitting janitor's disguise, peeked around the corner of the main hallway of Carmel, her ponytail swishing as she swung back around. "_The coast is clear_." Her voice was dramatic, louder now as she left spaces between words.

"Of course it's clear, the school is empty." Rachel and Jesse ignored him, both of them walking slowly and strangely towards the door to the principal's office, where Jesse had assured them that the student records would be. The three of them paused outside the door, breathing deeply as they tried the handle.

"_It's locked."_

"I have a bobby pin!" Rachel forgot to whisper in her excitement, her hands already reaching up to her ponytail.

"_I have the key, honey, but I'm sure that would have worked." _Jesse pulled the key out of his pocket, suspended on a chain. Kurt decided not to question how he had managed to obtain it, and instead leaned against the wall while Jesse tried to unlock the door as quietly as possible.

"_It's open."_

"Well done." His sarcasm caused Jesse to shoot him a foul look as he pushed the door open slowly; Kurt rolled his eyes (a movement that was becoming far too familiar due to his time spent with 'St Berry') and looked away, willing to leave Jesse to his spy fantasies.

"_Shall we go in_?" Rachel's voice was hushed again, almost in awe as she watched her boyfriend open a door miraculously with a key he had stolen. She almost took a step, but was stopped by Jesse's hand in front of her.

"_Wait."_

"_What- is it booby-trapped?!"_

"_I need to get in character."_

Kurt heaved out a sigh and pushed past them, eager to get away from them and home again. He left them bickering in the doorway and made his way to the filing cabinet in the corner of the room, next to a wide mahogany desk. Pulling open the bottom drawer marked 'Records', he dropped to his heels, vaguely recognizing the sound of Rachel and Jesse crouching behind him.

"P…Q… Who has a name beginning with Q?! Ah- Smythe." He grabbed the file and pulled it out, noticing that it was thinner than some of the others and reaching to open it, heart beating fast as he prepared for the answer to the question that had been burning for weeks now.

There was a loud bang somewhere in the hallway. Rachel jumped so drastically that Jesse was almost knocked sideways, and Kurt emitted a tiny squeak, his eyes darting to the watch around his wrist. How had they been there for an hour? Granted, shimmying through the window of the dance studio and climbing through the storage closet without upending any of the items had taken a while, but had it really been that long?

Footsteps echoed outside. Apparently it had.

"_Jesse, did you leave the key-" _Rachel stopped abruptly just as the footsteps did, and the three students stared at the door. The very open door, with a key dangling out of it.

_He's going to lock us in, I know it… _Kurt thought, watching the chain sway back and forth and closing his eyes in defeat, the file suddenly heavy in his hands.

But the footsteps carried on, fading as the person walked on down the hallway. Maybe he hadn't noticed, maybe he didn't care, but Kurt was glad of the guard's oversight; he had walked in the opposite direction that they needed to go. They all gave quiet sighs and tiptoed out of the room, Jesse hanging the key on a hook near the door once he had pulled it out of the lock. They ran silently down the hallway, Rachel holding her shoes in one hand so as not to make any sound. The dance studio wasn't far, thankfully, and they managed to make it out in one piece, registering the old car parked in front of the school and sneaking away from the building quickly.

"Okay, that- that was close." Jesse looked exhilarated, the excitement of the situation seeming more fun now that they were out.

"Too close- I can't get arrested; can you imagine if it came out in later life and ruined my Broadway career?" Rachel had flopped to the ground, ill-fitting costume riding up around her ankles as she stretched her legs out.

"Well we didn't get arrested, we got the file, and I developed a flawless character with a full detailed background of his neglected childhood, his time in juvie, and his rocky relationship with his grandparents; it's win win. Win."

"Jesse, I thought you were a janitor," Kurt cut in, "not a serial killer."

"At Carmel? Same thing. Anyway, Operation BICASSRIASLW was a complete success."

"Okay, what does that even stand for?"

"Operation Break Into Carmel And Steal Sebastian's Record In A Spy Like Way." This earned Jesse disbelieving looks from both Kurt and Rachel; this was even too much for her to deal with.

"I'm not good at names, okay?"

"Whatever. Can I look at the file now Are we quite done?" Kurt's impatience bled into his question, if Rachel's crossed arms were anything to go by, and he pulled the file out from where he had tucked it into his overalls. Breathing deeply, he opened the file, scanning the papers within until he reached the last page and searched for the transfer information.

"PARIS!?"

His voice echoed in the street, the night suddenly colder. Jesse's voice followed his, a shocked exclamation in the darkness.

"Well shit."


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: I suck so bad that I am giving you permission to curse my name and hate me forever and ever and ever. Three months (shit) is a ridiculous amount of time to leave you without an update, and I have no excuse whatsoever apart from that I am terrible and need a good punch in the face every now and then. But there's this for now? I guess? Hope you like it and I know I should be shunned forever for leaving this for so long, but review? Maybe? Any ideas on where this is going?**

* * *

A month.

That was how long it took before Kurt managed to have his life changed yet again by random strangers in public places. This one, however, managed to be so much less, and at the same time so much more than he had ever expected.

The Lima mall was always teeming with people at this time, when people had made their way out of work and for some unknown reason decided that shopping was the perfect way to spend their afternoon. Kurt loved it in there, but not when he had to elbow his way past middle-aged sweating women, and men with complicated phones and coffee stains on their shirts. This time, he was accompanying his Dad in search of some new, smarter clothes that weren't work overalls. It wasn't going well.

"Kurt, I don't see why I can't just wear this with my jeans."

"Because it would look ridiculous, Dad- just try the grey ones." With a sigh, Burt made his way back into the changing room, leaving Kurt standing in the expensive shop alone.

"Hi, I'm sorry- I've been looking for a specific shirt everywhere and I just can't find it at all.. can you maybe help me?"

The boy was shorter than Kurt, dark-haired and enthusiastic as he spoke, and his eyes were so golden that it took Kurt what felt like a lifetime to get his lips to work.

"I-I actually don't work here." His voice came out too high, and cracked as he replied, watching the other boy's face fall slightly as he realized his mistake.

"Really? Oh my god, I'm so sorry- I really thought you did, I-"

"Hey, it doesn't matter, don't worry about it, it's weird to see someone this well-dressed in Ohio, I can understand the mistake," He shot a smile in the other boy's direction, holding in the giggle when he noticed the red blush rising in his cheeks, "I'm Kurt, I'm here with my Dad."

"Blaine."

"So what are you looking for, exactly? I don't work here but I might be able to spot something…" Blaine's face lit up as he bounced back slightly on his heels, describing the purple shirt he was trying to find and carrying on his search with Kurt at his side. They talked about school, about Glee, about everything- in between Kurt attempting to get his Dad to be more adventurous with his fashion choices. Blaine went to a school called Dalton, not too far away but still a million miles away from the shabby hallways of McKinley. The way he talked about the lavish decorations, the polished floors and the complicated classes was with an air of reverence, and Kurt couldn't help but imagine the place as heaven for him, where he wouldn't have to worry about the daily dangers of attending a school like McKinley. It was summer by this point, and the blistering heat of the days hadn't quite been enough to make him forget the torment of last year, or what was clearly to come. Kurt's summer so far had consisted of shopping and attempting to avoid the sunlight in the garden, but as the air started to cool and the leaves started to brown, he could feel the next school year looming.

Would it be better? Now that he had friends and the glee club and that he would be a junior, no longer the youngest? Or would it be even worse? He could imagine the jocks coming after him once more purely because he wasn't the youngest anymore; targeting him because he didn't fit into the social order that they had tried so hard to maintain. At least Finn was sort of on side now- their parents dating had caused a fuss for the boys at first, but Kurt had decided to just ignore their past and be at least civil to each other. Finn had taken it in his stride too, surprisingly, even going as far as to support Kurt when they decided to tackle Gaga for a week.

As much as the glee club had helped, however, Kurt entertained the idea of Dalton for a little longer. He swapped numbers with Blaine, his heart fluttering as the other boy stumbled over his words and eventually just handed over his phone, cheeks turning red, and decided that he would wait and see what school was like before he got too invested in the thought of transferring. His Dad would be tough to crack when it came to this, unless Kurt truly believed his days would be even worse than last year at McKinley.

* * *

He didn't plan on becoming completely smitten with Blaine, of course.

It just kind of… happened.

As the weeks passed, they spent more and more time together- lying in the back yard, criticizing reality TV on Kurt's small couch and comparing their large selection of bowties in Blaine's navy bedroom. Kurt had quickly learned that Blaine was gay after an awkward blurted question mid conversation, and the two could spend hours talking about anything and everything. Kurt's Dad thought it was good for him, to have someone to speak to about 'stuff', but Kurt was more preoccupied with Blaine's hair and eyes and hands than to talk about any serious issues. Blaine was charming, and sweet, and funny, and everything that Kurt had ever wanted in a boy, and it didn't take long before even other people started to notice.

"So that prep-school boy, huh?" Mercedes asked, sipping at a cold glass of coke and lounging back in one of the lawn chairs that had survived the roof fiasco of '09.

"What do you mean?" Kurt was on the other half-broken chair, head ducked low and sunscreen smeared on to prevent any chance of freckles.

"You're spending a lot of time with him. Almost as much time as you spent with Se-"

"-Blaine's my friend, 'Cedes," Kurt chipped in; ignoring the pang he felt as he cut off the name, "That's all. It's not like that with him."

"Do you want it to be?" she asked, pulling her green sunglasses down her nose so that she could stare him in the eyes.

"Well, yeah, kind of, but it doesn't matter. I can't do a repeat of last time." She rolled her eyes and sat up fully to face him.

"Kurt, I think it's highly unlikely that every guy you meet is going to randomly up and go to France."

"That's not what I mean. Shut up."

"Still hurt, huh? Has he ever…"

"Contacted me? Nope. No reason to, I guess- he's probably got a much more interesting life over there than he would ever have over here with me around." Kurt spat, bitter still even with the passed time. It was true- Sebastian was probably having the time of his life in Paris, all memories of Lima and Kurt and stupid Glee wars long behind him and almost forgotten. After all, Paris was exotic and new and sophisticated, and Kurt was still… Kurt. Still the kid from Lima with weird clothes and hair that wouldn't co-operate.

"Okay, enough of the self-pity; we've been over this, it'ss his loss, and you shouldn't beat yourself up just because he decided to emigrate to Europe without warning, okay?" Kurt gave a quick nod, breathing deeply and relaxing his shoulders, "Plus you're forgetting that I actually saw the kid, Kurt- he's a total nerd. If anything he's probably sitting around in some weird café in Paris pining over you and writing terrible sonnets in notebooks about your eyes," Mercedes laughed, the corners of her eyes crinkling as she sipped at the lemonade Kurt had poured her, "Or your ass."

"Mercedes, you know when I said shut up?"

"Shutting up, shutting up… But seriously, don't let one bad experience hold you back from going after what you want. Blaine likes you, right?"

"Well yeah, but not like-"

"You'll never know if you never try…" She sung softly, leaning closer and grinning widely.

"I'm going to pretend that wasn't a High School Musical reference before I kick you out of my backyard and into the terrible-movie hell where you belong." Kurt snapped, leaning back and sighing deeply.

"There's one little thing that stops you every time…" She mimed a microphone, looking pained as she dramatically sung the words across the small space between them.

"I will kill you if you continue."

"Shutting up. Really shutting up, I mean."

"Good."

She hummed still under her breath for an hour or so, and if Kurt caught a soft whispered rendition of the chorus from his friend, he didn't say anything, and definitely did not hum it back to her without thinking.

"HA"

"It's catchy, okay!?"

* * *

When school started up a couple of weeks later things got worse. Blaine couldn't hang out anywhere near as much as he did before, and Kurt was back to being at the bottom of the food chain. Sure, this time around there were things to focus on, such as Rachel's feud with the new kid and his campaign to sing Britney in Glee, but school was… school. Nothing had really changed, except now he had a new group of friends to share his time with, rather than sitting alone all the time.

"Kurt!" He turned to face whoever was shouting, less inclined to flinch when he vaguely recognized the voice. "Kurt we're here!" Rachel was yelling, waving a hand in the air and flashing a wide grin at him. She was seated at a table with the rest of the Glee club, all picking at the cafeteria food with varying looks of sadness and confusion. He strolled over and dropped his homemade lunch on the table, eyeing the brown sludge of the day that occupied everyone's plates.

"What is that?" He tentatively asked, wondering if it would crawl off the plate if he looked away. Puck was quick to reply, prodding at the mysterious food with a plastic fork.

"No idea, dude, but it tastes like sh-"

"Where do you stand on the Sunshine issue, Kurt? Do you think she might be a threat to the solo options of the team?" Rachel cut in swiftly, brown eyes boring into his as she lifted an apple to her mouth. Kurt took in the tilt of her eyebrows and the meaningful look from Finn, sitting behind her.

"Um… maybe? No? I figure if she's good, that's good… right?" It wasn't the answer she'd hoped for. She visibly deflated and took a large bite of the apple, sinking into her seat. The team wasn't exactly happy after the crackhouse stunt, and she was paying the price one dirty look at a time.

"Look Rachel, it'll be good for us, having more members, 'kay? Besides, we need as many people as we can get." Mercedes said, her eyes drifting to the blond that had seemed interested in joining before, sat several tables away.

Rachel nodded sadly at Mercedes and turned back to her apple, staring at it for several seconds before biting once more. Kurt resisted the urge to roll his eyes yet again and watched as Finn ran a hand over her back to soothe her.

At that moment his phone buzzed, his bag moving against his foot.

"Ooh, is that Blaine?" Mercedes asked, tearing her eyes away from- Steve? Simon? No, Sam- and leaning in to catch a glimpse of his phone as he read the text.

_Hey! I was thinking maybe you could swing by Dalton after school if you wanted? There's someone I want you to meet, also we do amazing lattes here and I'll buy :D_

He smirked at the overenthusiastic smiley, so typical of Blaine, and ignored Mercedes' craning as he typed out a reply.

_Sure thing, see you at 5!_

"Seriously, you need to get on that before it's too late- your smile when he even breathes the same air as you is getting sickening," Santana drawled as she walked over from the cheerio table to lean on the back of Rachel's chair.

"I thought you weren't talking to us anymore, Santana?" Artie asked, looking confused at the girl's sudden appearance.

"Whatever. The bitch squad is getting boring and I figure loser drama is better than no drama. What's the latest, Hummel? This one ran off to Rome?" She shot a sly look in his direction, an eyebrow raising as she smiled slowly.

"No, actually. But I really must run off right now- I have more interesting things to do than talk to you." With this he grabbed his bag and stood, his chin high as he strolled away from the table and pretended not to hear her shouting after him.

"I really doubt that!"

He disappeared into the building, glancing at the clock in the hallway and mentally counting the hours until he could see Blaine.

_Not long now._

* * *

It took him a while to find Dalton, but when he did, it took even longer to take it in. He was overwhelmed by how nice it was, and how little it looked like an actual school. When his car pulled into the parking lot, it was accompanied by cars that would have made his Dad scream like a teenage girl, and the hallways alone were so clean that they sparkled. Blaine ended up having to come and find him, because he knew that Kurt would get completely lost if left alone, and if Kurt felt a thrill when Blaine took his hand and showed him a short-cut to the common room, he tried not to show it.

"Okay, so I know I haven't talked about him a lot, but I have this friend and he's awesome and he's so smart and you have to meet him because you're gonna love him, just wait!" Blaine said, bouncing a little as he half-jogged along the hallway. "And you can meet the warblers! They've heard so much about you, they're so excited!"

His excitement was infectious, Kurt found as he grinned at Blaine, feet finding their way along until they saw brown double doors and a set of steps, presumably leading to the Dalton common room.

"Ready?" Kurt nodded once as Blaine pushed the doors open, revealing around fifteen boys dressed in red and blue lounging on couches and reading at tables scattered around the room. Kurt smiled at some of the students that caught his eye and let Blaine lead him to a small table in the corner. He was distracted by the sheer size of the room, complete with huge windows to let in as much light as possible. The couches looked comfortable, the leather soft after years of use but still a deep brown in the afternoon light.

"Kurt, I want you to meet-"

"Kurt?"

The whispered word snapped him out of his daydream of sinking into one of the couches. Kurt's head spun around, blue eyes frantically searching until they met deep green.

"…Sebastian!?"


End file.
